Reality Crisis
by BlankBullet
Summary: What happens when your own mind becomes your biggest enemy? Vegeta struggles to reinvent his identity and preserve his sanity before all is lost. But everything is not what it seems. Post Buu-saga. Rated T for language. Pls, R/R.
1. Prologue

TITLE: Reality Crisis

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Dragon Ball Z or anything related to the franchise

RATING: T for language

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He was woken by the constant sound of water droplets banging against the floor. Struggling to open his eyes he realized he's ki level was unnaturally low. The last time he felt so week was after being beaten to a bloody pulp by kid Buu in the afterworld a couple of years ago.

With great difficulty, Vegeta finally managed to open his eyes which subsequently got stung by the sharp, artificial light in the room. He found himself lying in bed, in what seemed to be some sort of a cold, white cell with barred windows and a heavy iron door. There was nothing in the room except the bed he was occupying and that damn leaking pipe in the ceiling, which woke him up in the first place. Vegeta also noticed he was wearing nothing but a white V-neck T-shirt and loose white pants.

"That's not Capsule Corp.'s hospital ward" he said quietly to himself, getting up to inspect his surroundings.

His head was heavy, his vision clouded but he still managed to maintain his balance. As he suspected, the door was locked, which normally wouldn't be a problem for the mighty Sayian prince, but at that moment he could barely stand on his own so summoning his ki to form even the tiniest energy blast was out of the question.

_What the hell is going on here? Where am I? _

He had half a mind to start banging on the door while spewing a wide plethora of insults and threats aimed at whoever was responsible for his predicament, but eventually decided against it.

_I've gotta find out what happened and who's behind this circus before I tear this place apart. This better not be one of Trunk's or that idiot Kakarrot's stupid pranks. Either way, heads will roll! _

Vegeta let out a low growl, as his irritation started to escalate. He couldn't remember what had happened to him and trying to recall the latest events only caused a massive headache.

He took off his T-shirt to inspect his body for cuts and bruises but found none. While examining his head, something else caught his attention. His hair! Somebody had cut his hair! It felt short and unruly, as if refusing to proudly stand up the way it used to.

His body looked different as well. His massive biceps and abs were gone, and judging by the visible ribcage he was now sporting, he must have lost a lot of weight. In fact, he looked downright skinny. His skin was unnaturally pale and the numerous battle scars he'd obtained during his time under Freeza rule had mysteriously vanished!

_That's not my body! _Vegeta mentally exclaimed, struggling to push back the surfacing feeling of terror. He wasn't unfamiliar to creatures fully capable of transferring their consciousness into their victims' bodies, trapping the original "owners" in their own - Commander Ginyu being one example.

_No, don't panic now! You're the prince of the most powerful warrior race in the whole universe. Think! Try…try to think! _

His inner pep talk didn't work that well this time. He found it hard to form a coherent thought feeling so weak and helpless, even though Vegeta was used to functioning in high-stress situations. Hell, to say his whole life had been one giant high-stress situation would be a huge understatement, but he'd never let his guard down. He was cold, calculating and clever. Many a time his wit, rather than his strength, saved his tail form impending doom.

Yet, at that moment, he felt tired. He was drained both physically and mentally. There was no plan, no clever way out. He could only hope his wife and son were safe at home. Home… he really must have gone a long way from trying to destroy that mud ball of a planet called Earth to end up actually calling it his home…

His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of footsteps at his door (how come he couldn't register any ki sources approaching? He really must be out of it). They were men, at least two of them, talking to each other, laughing?

Vegeta briefly considered ambushing them, but if he learned anything from his former master Freeza is not to initiate an attack without knowing the exact numbers, power levels and weaknesses of the enemy. With his senses apparently numbed, he wasn't able to gather much information about the approaching figures, so he sat on his bed and waited for the inevitable encounter.

Vegeta heard a clicking sound and a moment later, just as he anticipated, two men stepped into the room. The first one was a medium-height, overweight, bald man, whose pale skin had an odd pinkish hue. Despite his bulkiness he appeared to be relatively strong. The other one, tall and lanky, looked much more sophisticated, effeminate even, sporting long brown hair pulled into a braid. His facial features were soft, almost feminine, but his cold, green eyes betrayed his malevolence. Both were clad in white scrubs, similar to the ones he'd seen on Capsule Corp.'s medical staff. Somehow the two seemed awfully familiar to Vegeta.

_Dodoria? Zarbon? But that's impossible! They're dead. And how come they look so..so human!_

Vegeta was so taken aback by the unexpected reappearance of the despised duo, that he completely froze.

"Time for your meds, _Prince_" said the taller man as he pulled out some white pills and handed Vegeta a plastic water glass.

Vegeta scowled at the disdainful way the man stressed his title.

"Who the hell are you two? What is this place? I demand…" Vegeta started his tirade but was cut off by the taller man.

"Before you decide to throw a fit _again_, I suggest you swallow these" he calmly said handing Vegeta three white pastilles. "Do not test my patience today, I'm not in the mood for your nonsense".

Vegeta responded by snatching the glass and throwing its contents along with the pills in "Zarbon's" face.

"Go fuck yourself Zarbon!" he yelled while jumping into a defensive stance.

The bulky man just rolled his eyes at Vegeta's display. "He's at it again" he murmured more to himself than to his soaked colleague.

"It's always the same with you!" the Zarbon-look-alike yelled in Vegeta's face. "Just take these damn pills or I'll shove them down your throat! I'm not joking Ian!"

Vegeta was so enraged by the man's threat that he almost didn't register the way he'd been addressed. _Ian? Who the hell is Ian?_

One thing was certain though, he wasn't going to let them speak to him like this. His ki was still completely blocked out, but he wasn't going down without a fight.

"You filthy bastards" Vegeta hissed. "Dou you know who I am? I'm the pr….."

"Yeah yeah, the prince of all Sayians, a warrior race of space monkeys" the obese man interrupted. "We know the story kid. You've been retelling it for years now".

Seeing Vegeta's confused expression, the man continued.

"Look, we still gotta visit Santa Claus next door, and there's a couple of Elivses waiting for their meds as well, so stop causing trouble, take the pills and get your deluded ass back to bed so we can go about our day, will ya?"

That was enough. With an enraged snarl, Vegeta launched himself at the obnoxious fat man, aiming his shaking fist at his opponent's nose. Before he could land a punch though, Dodoria's doppelganger grabbed Vegeta's wrist and twisted his arm behind his back while using his own superior mass to force Vegeta on the floor.

Vegeta tried to break free, which basically amounted to kicking, trashing and screaming, but the truth was, he felt overpowered like a small child trapped in the other man's powerful deadlock. From the corner of his eye, he could see "Zarbon" taking out a syringe and loading it with some translucent liquid.

"It's always the same with you Ian" the taller man repeated his earlier comment shaking his head in resigned disapproval.

He approached Vegeta and grabbed the prince's left arm preventing any movement by pressing his knee down the smaller man's wrist.

"Sometimes I really do wonder what screwed you up so bad" he continued his taunting while lifting Vegeta's sleeve up.

"Get the fuck off me you freakish blob!" Vegeta shouted, hearing his increased pulse pounding in his ears.

As much as he tried not to panic up to this point, the jab of the sharp needle reaching his (puny) bicep made Vegeta scream his lungs out, not so much out of agony but out of fear and hopelessness.

Suddenly he felt even weaker than before. His body became completely numb and his fluttering eyelids felt heavy as if somebody forcefully tried to shut them down. His vision blurred and his breathing became more steady and even.

Everything seemed so quiet all of a sudden, as his mind was slowly succumbing to the comforting blackness of unconsciousness.

He could feel being lifted and laid in bed. The last thing his senses managed to register was an increasing pressure on his wrists and ankles. Then everything went black.

**TBC…**

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**Author's note:** Hi! Thank you for reading the chapter. This is my first DBZ fic but I've been following the fandom for a long time. Finally, I decided to contribute. Hope you like it.

Please let me know what you think. I have the whole story planned out but I'm open to suggestions. I'm a relatively unexperienced writer so feedback would be very much appreciated. I really would like to improve and your help is necessary for me to do that so please R/R.


	2. Don't blast the messenger

_Come back to us Vegeta….we gotta spar sometime..._

_Do you think he can hear us? _

_Time to wake up, hon… _

_Dad…it's all my fault…I'll never forgive myself if….if you…_

Vegeta woke up with a start. The voices in his head were now slowly fading. He could barely make out the words anyway, since the sounds were muffled as if spoken from far away. Still, he was absolutely certain he knew whom those voices belonged to; the soft one was undoubtedly Bulma's, but he could swear he'd also heard his son's pleas and even Kakkarot's foolish babbling.

Where the hell were they? Was he back home? Was the whole ordeal with Freeza's diabolic duo just one of the more realistic nightmares he was so often haunted by at night? And even if it _was _just a dream, how come he still felt so weak and groggy.

The room was dark with the lights turned off, making it impossible for Vegeta to make out anything that would give him any clues as to where he was. That certainly didn't help alleviate his already heightened sense of anxiety and confusion.

Suddenly he became aware of the familiar, albeit infuriating sound of dripping water, undoubtedly coming from the very same leaking pipe that had disturbed him before. At that very moment he knew, he just knew, that he was still stuck in that godforsaken cell.

Having mustered some strength, Vegeta tried to get up but discovered he couldn't move his arms and legs, as his wrists and ankles were restrained by leather belts, which in turn were tightly fasten to his bed. He tried to rip them out, but unfortunately he still couldn't summon his ki.

After several minutes of trying to break free, while keeping himself from screaming in frustration, he gave up and rested his aching head on the pillow.

Perhaps now was the time to analyze the situation and come up with a plan because so far none of the things that happened to him in that crazy white hellhole made any sense.

Speaking of hell… Vegeta considered the first scenario: perhaps in some strange circumstances he couldn't recall at that moment he died (again) and was sent to …..HFIL. Perhaps this is some sort of punishment for his past deeds.

_No, that can't be it_ Vegeta quickly dismissed that theory. After all, he had been sent to hell before, more than once in fact, and he knew for a fact that mind games were not in HFIL's repertoire of torture techniques. Besides, as much as the fact still puzzled and embarrassed him, he was considered one of the good guys now. When Shenron deemed his soul worthy of redemption and resurrected him after the whole Buu ordeal, Vegeta didn't even have the opportunity to prove the dragon wrong. Not that he'd want to anyway. He knew his priorities now and he wouldn't let anyone, especially himself, hurt his family ever again.

If he wasn't in hell, maybe he found himself in some sort of alternative universe. That'd explain the disappearance of his battle scars and perhaps the weak condition of his body, but not necessarily the fact that, apparently, his name was Ian now. What in Kami's name was up with that?

He was willing to admit that the resemblance to Zarbon and Dododia that he saw in his two tormentors was an effect of his imagination going wild, but the way they addressed him was unmistakable. Plus, they did know about his past and his race, from _him_ apparently! That didn't make any sense. Then there's also the fact that in normal circumstances, even if his body was drained and his ki blocked by some devilish device, he'd still be able to sense power levels or establish a mental link with Trunks or Kakkarot. And since he couldn't do that, the only explanation to his predicament would be _body switch_. That had been his first thought when he'd noticed the missing scars earlier. Except this time, it couldn't have been Ginyu, who was forever condemned to a life of an amphibian, but some creep named Ian.

Vegeta cringed at the very thought that while he was being drugged and detained like some wild animal, an impostor who took _his_ body was settling in nicely in _his_ life, living in _his_ house, training in _his _Gravity Room, spending quality time with _his_ family…

_Oh kami, Bulma_…. Vegeta didn't even want to think about all the possibilities that presented themselves to his impersonator. Not to mention the fact that having access to Vegeta's immense power made his stand-in a huge threat to the safety of the entire planet. The whole notion sent shivers down his spine.

_I've gotta get out of here, warn Bulma and the others and somehow get my body back before it's too late _Vegeta concluded with newfound determination. Now would be a good moment to come up with an escape plan….

Vegeta thoughts were interrupted by a clicking sound by the door.

_Not those two again_ Vegeta mentally whined at the prospect of encountering the despicable pair.

The lights were suddenly turned on making Vegeta wince. He was ready to browbeat the two assholes but his scowling expression quickly turned into one of surprise when he saw who entered his cell – it was his father-in-law, Dr. Briefs!

The man approached Vegeta's bed and gave him an odd look – the very same look he'd usually give his broken machines or incompetent workers. The doc's expression reflected a mixture of disappointment, annoyance and resignation.

"Feeling better, my boy?" he finally asked.

_Feeling better? Seriously? Here I am strapped to a bed without a clue as to what is going on and what kind of a psychopath put me here, my ki is blocked, my head's about to burst open, and that clueless moron dares asking me if I was FEELING BETTER?!_ At that moment, so many emotions run through Vegeta's head – surprise, confusion, disbelief, anger, a sense of betrayal – that he did the only thing he could in his immobilized state. He shouted.

"You fucking traitor! _You're_ behind this shit? Where's Bulma? Does she know about this?" The last question in his enraged outburst made him uneasy. There was no way his wife would do that to him. She was one of the very few people in the world who managed to earn his full trust – an almost impossible task – and she wouldn't just flush it down the drain like that by placing him in this wretched rat hole, would she….?

Dr. Briefs was oddly calm for a man who just got insulted and subsequently placed on the powerful warrior's personal blacklist. Didn't he know better than to get on Vegeta's bad side? Wasn't he aware of the terrible repercussions that would follow? Did he expect mercy once Vegeta got his power back on account of being related to his wife?

The older man sighted. "Are you done shouting, Ian?" he asked the still fuming prince.

"Can't wait to hear you shout when I'm _done_ with you old man! And don't call me Ian, damnit!"

"Why not? It _is_ your name" Dr. Briefs calmly stated ignoring the other man's threats.

"No it's not! Whatever's going on in here, I'm not who you think I am!"

"Ian, I can't even remember how many times we've had this conversation. Every time I think we're making progress, you revert to your delusional self-image".

"Listen to me you old geezer! If I don't get outta here soon…"

"The planet will be destroyed by an imposter who stole your body, correct?" Bulma's father finished, which completely caught Vegeta off guard. "And before you ask, no, I'm not a mind reader".

"Explain" Vegeta demanded through gritted teeth. Obviously shouting wasn't going to cut it this time, so he figured he might as well listen to what the old man had to say.

Dr. Briefs once more sighted tiredly, giving an impression that explaining the twisted situation to his son-in-law was as tiresome and mundane to him as mowing the lawn.

"Your name is _not _Vegeta" he started, unfazed by his interlocutor's deepening scowl. "You're not a Sayian prince capable of manipulating energy, or ki if you will, you do not posses any special powers and you're definitely _not_ married to my daughter".

Vegeta didn't like what he was hearing one bit but decided to remain silent and let the man finish his insane blabbering to find out what exactly he was dealing with here.

"Your name is Ian Say. You're a patient at St. Mary's Mental Health Institute. You have been with us for over 10 years. I'm Dr. Harold Briefs, your psychiatrist".

Vegeta's eyes widened at the revelation but he was still far from believing in anything the man said so far. If Dr. Briefs noticed Vegeta's skepticism, he didn't show it and continued his explanation.

"Your condition is called Dissociative Identity Disorder, also known as Multiple Personality Disorder, but you also fell victim to a severe case of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder with periodic delusional episodes. These mental illnesses cause you to lose touch with reality, adopt a new identity – that of the almighty Sayian Prince – and deal with your fears, failures and desires by creating an imaginary world you like to lose yourself in. It is a world where death can be overcome by a simple act of making a wish using magical balls; and all conflicts are solved through epic battles fought by men capable of flying and throwing energy balls at each other. In this elaborated fantasy of yours, you're a member of an elite group of warriors with an almost unlimited power reserves, and you're married to the world's richest, most intelligent, most beautiful woman who bore you a son. You refused to accept reality as it is Ian, so you decided to establish a new persona for yourself and found refuge in a magical world of your own design. To put it in simpler words…"

"You think I'm a nutcase" Vegeta finished, shaking his head in disbelief.

Dr. Briefs gave him a sad smile while taking something out of his pocket. It was a small, round portable mirror. Wordlessly, he held it in front of the younger man's face.

"But..but that's impossible" Vegeta stammered, shocked by seeing his own reflection, albeit skinnier and more disheveled than ever. Apart from his shortened hair and more pronounced cheekbones, the facial features in the mirror were undoubtedly his, the body-switch-theory be damned.

"This is some kind of a trick" the prince murmured, desperate for an alternative explanation to his predicament, although he couldn't provide one himself at the moment. "I'm afraid it's no trick, my boy"

"I'm not crazy! This must be a part of an elaborate plan to… to destroy me!" Vegeta growled, trying to convince both the doctor and himself.

His thoughts were racing, his head spinning, overwhelmed with various conflicting emotions. Vegeta's instantly felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.

"Denial is not just a river in Egypt" Dr. Briefs replied, putting the mirror back in his pocket.

"Shut up!"

"You need to understand that you've been living in a world of delusions and fantasies"

"Prove it!" Vegeta exclaimed, his daring tone failing to hide a tinge of desperation in his voice.

"You've probably already noticed your scars are gone" the other man stated matter-of-factly.

"That could have been arranged" Vegeta protested. "I've heard of lasers that can do that sort of thing".

"If you're so strong, why can't you just break free from the restraints using your power?" Dr. Briefs asked despite already knowing the kind of answer his patient would give him.

Vegeta's rage grew stronger with every second of the exchange. The older man should feel lucky that the price couldn't move.

"Some device you made is blocking my ki, and you know it! Or it may be the effect of some poison you ordered them to inject me with!" he accused.

"Whose _them_?" the doctor asked innocently.

"You know who! Don't play dumb with me old man!" Vegeta snapped, unable to contain his rage anymore.

"You mean Zamarion and Dorian? The two male nurses who gave you a sedative after your assaulted them?" the doctor calmly asked, consequently ignoring Vegeta's constant threats and insults.

Vegeta blinked.

"Well… they pissed me off" he whined, inwardly cringing at how childish and defensive he sounded.

"I see" the older man said reassuringly. "I'll make sure they won't provoke you next time" he added, attempting to placate Vegeta but the prince didn't appreciate his patronizing tone.

"There _won't_ be a next time!" he hissed. "As soon as I figure out what's blocking my ki, I'm getting outta here, and trust me doc, you don't wanna be anywhere near me when that happens. And by _near_ I mean in the same solar system, understand?" Vegeta growled, still shaking in anger.

Dr. Briefs just rolled his eyes. He wasn't intimidated at all, as if such venomous threats to his life were nothing new to him.

With a sigh, he turned once again to his fuming patient. "I don't suppose you're going to believe me, huh?"

Instead of gracing the doctor with a reply Vegeta just squinted his eyes.

"Alright then. If you don't want to listen to me, perhaps someone else can convince you?"

"And who would get the honor, hmm?" Vegeta asked, his voice dripping with irony.

"Your father" the older man said, turning on his heel.

Before Vegeta could gather his wits again, the lights were once again turned off as Dr. Briefs made his exit, leaving the astounded prince all to himself.

That night sleep never came.


	3. Enter the Madhouse

„Today's your big day, princess" Zamarion said mockingly, leading Vegeta down the long, white hall that smelled of antiseptic, "you're gonna meet you daddy".

Vegeta ignored him. Normally, he would've snapped at the other man's insolence and demanded respect for the royal family, but quite frankly, he couldn't gather his wits at the moment. After a long, sleepless night and being once again injected with some mind-fucking drug flowing now in his system – Hell-o-peridol, or whatever it was called - he was too exhausted and numb to form a snappy comeback.

Truth be told, if he didn't feel so apathetic, he'd probably be excited and terrified at the same time at the prospect of meeting his father. It's been such a long time (was it?). His father was supposed to be dead. But then again, noting he believed in seemed to hold water recently.

Vegeta wasn't sure how to feel about his father anyway. Was he suppose to be angry at the king for giving him away to the psychotic tyrant, Freeza? Should he feel ashamed of himself for failing to fulfill his father's wishes, defeat the monster and avenge his people? Losing against a third-class warrior, Kakkarot, wasn't the highlight of his life either.

Seeing him in such a pitiful state would probably enrage his father. After all, if there was one thing king Vegeta hated most, it was weakness, and right now his own son was anything but strong.

The hospital was awfully quiet, the silence occasionally broken by a whimper or a quiet sob coming from behind closed, iron doors. Vegeta was too lost in his thoughts to pay any mind to all the patients they were passing by, but as they reached the day room, the sight before him shook him out of his trance.

There were several patients in the room, some old, some relatively young. Two older men were sitting by a small round table, playing chess, occasionally shouting "checkmate" even though their pieces were in no position to threaten the kings. One of the seniors was just about to smack an approaching nurse's bottom, but she anticipated his move, spun around and grabbed his wrist, giving him her most intimidating death glare.

"You better behave Mr. Roshi, or I'll have you restrained PERMANENTLY!" she warned the lecherous old man, which caused Zamarion to let out a short bark of laughter.

Vegeta turned away from the scene and noticed an attractive, dark-haired woman walking around the room, engaged in a lively conversation about tea parties and exotic trips, but it seemed her interlocutor was visible and audible only to herself.

"That's Launch. Split personality, kinda like you" Zamarion explained, even though Vegeta did not intend to ask. "If you see her sneeze, run for your life" the taller man added with a snort.

The prince just scowled at him, and turned to observe the other inmates. Some of the patients were busy painting disturbing, psychedelic daubers on their easels, others were sitting quietly, engulfed in lethargy, staring blankly at a point on the pale, yellowish wall. One of them was muttering to himself something about having a third eye. Vegeta's face twisted in disgust upon seeing a strange, pudgy man hunkering in the corner of the room, plucking out his long, black hair, then putting the locks in his mouth and subsequently chewing it.

_What a bunch of screwballs _ Vegeta thought, wishing he could just blast his way out of this hellish nuthouse.

One of the patients, a short, bald man, turned to Vegeta and gave him a warm smile.

"Hey Ian, what's up man?" he called in a friendly tone, "you're in trouble again?"

"Krilin?" Vegeta asked, surprised at seeing Baldy in a place like this.

"It's *Karim*" the shorter man replied, "KA-RIM. Geez, Ian, you always seem to forget".

"Karim here, thinks his wife is a robot" Zamarion casually said, sounding amused.

"No, no, no. Not a _robot_" Karim protested, "that would be ridiculous". He then turned to Vegeta, and whispered, "she's actually an android. There's a difference".

"18?" Vegeta asked, hopeful that at least one thing in this fucked-up hospital was familiar to him.

"Yeah, yeah she's 18" Karim replied. "A little young, I know, but they say we make a cute couple".

Vegeta just rolled his eyes.

"Alright, enough chit-chat" Zamarion announced, and urged Vegeta to keep walking. "You have an appointment, remember?"

"Where are we going?" the prince asked resignedly.

"Dr. Breifs' office. Your dad's waiting for you" the male nurse explained.

Just as Vegeta opened his mouth to ask another question, the sight before him caused him to stop dead in his tracks. Too stunned to even notice the sigh of irritation given by Zamarion, he gaped at the woman who strode into the room. There she was, standing in her white lab coat - her blue eyes sparkling, her equally blue hair falling down her shoulders - the woman he wanted to see so badly ever since he found himself in this wretched place, his wife.

"Bulma!" he called out to her, feeling relief at seeing her safe and sound.

"Mr. Say" she replied giving him a curt nod, "how are you feeling today?"

That wasn't an answer Vegeta expected from his wife.

"No, not you too" he said, not even trying to hide the disappointment in his voice. "They got to you too…"

"Here's your answer, Dr. B." Zamarion said sarcastically. "The prince is back in the house" he added with feigned pomposity.

"Zam" Bulma said in a warning tone then turned to Vegeta. "Mr. Say, remember what we've discussed lat time?"

Seeing him rising his eyebrow in confusion, she continued in a calm, almost soothing matter, "you are to address me as 'Doctor' or 'Dr. B.', if you like. That's how my patients and coworkers call me, to avoid confusion with my father, Dr. Briefs" she explained and brightly smiled at Vegeta.

"That's just bullshit" Vegeta said to himself, shaking his head in disbelief. "All of this is bullshit!".

"Everything ok in here?" Vegeta heard a concerned, male voice ask, it's owner standing right behind him.

When Vegeta spun around to see who the interfering fool was, his already sour mood worsened tenfold.

_Just my luck_ Vegeta thought, looking daggers at the man. _Scar-face's here too! _

The man in question protectively slipped his hand around Bulma's thin waist and whispered something in her ear.

"No, no, I'm fine Yamcha. It's ok, really" Vegeta heard her say, and to his utter shock, saw her kiss the scarred man on the cheek.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" the prince snapped, feeling his temper rise. "Get your dirty hands off my wife!"

"I work here Mr. Say" Yamcha replied, not even bothering to take his eyes off Bulma.

"Mr. Say, I think you'd better go now. Perhaps talking to your father may help you understand a few things, like the fact we're _not_ married" Dr.B. said, her voice more stern now.

Zamarion took the hint and lightly pushed Vegeta forward, "Come on, let's get going. Daddy's waiting for you".

Vegeta felt a strong urge to smash both Zamrion's and Yamcha's faces with full force, but before he had time to react (blast those damn sedatives), he was ushered to enter Dr. Briefs' office.

The doctor sat at his desk, petting a small, black cat in his arms. There was another man in the room, his face turned to the window, but Vegeta immediately recognized who it was.

_Father…_Vegeta froze. He was here! His father was really here, although his posture didn't emanate pride and dignity the way Vegeta used to admire as a child. In fact, the man looked downright depressed, with his shoulders dropped and his eyes radiating sadness. Even his royal mane was different, shorter, and Vegeta could swear he saw hints of silver strands here and there.

"Ah, you're here at last" Dr. Briefs greeted the prince enthusiastically, unaware of Vegeta's inner turmoil, then turned to Zamarion, "you can go now, Zam".

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay doc? He's kinda crabby today" Zamarion said, and Vegeta immediately scowled at being treated as though he wasn't present in the room.

"We'll be fine, thank you Zamarion" Dr. Briefs replied, dismissing the male nurse.

Vegeta continued to stare at his father in disbelief, ignoring Zamarion's quiet warning to behave himself.

The king did not turn to him, but kept staring out the window, scratching his goatee. He was deep in thought, and Vegeta wasn't sure whether the king didn't notice his arrival or deliberately chose to ignore him.

"I'll leave you two alone" Dr. Briefs said, standing up to leave. "I'm sure Ian has a lot of questions, isn't that right, _Ian_?"

Vegeta didn't fail to notice the way the doctor stressed his "name" but only grunted in response.

"Good luck then" the older man said, leaving father and son on their own.

After what was probably only a few minutes but seemed like hours, Vegeta decided to break the ice.

"Is that really you?" he asked quietly, still unsure of himself.

His father closed his eyes and let out a sigh, as if these words had physically hurt him.

"Sit down, son" he finally said, ignoring Vegeta's question.

The prince did as he was told, musing how much time has passed since he last heard his father's deep, raspy voice.

His eyes still closed, the older man sighed once again.

"We've been through this so many times, and yet it seems we always end up at the same point" he begun. "I don't even know where to start" he admitted solemnly.

"Start from the beginning" Vegeta replied, anxious to hear what his father was about to say.

**TBC…**

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**Author's note**: Sorry to leave you hanging at this point, but I figured the chapter is long enough as it is. Stay tuned, there are some serious twists on the way. Pls, leave a review to let me know what you think.


	4. Venom

Vegeta intently studied his father, silently ushering him to start talking. He still didn't get over the shock of seeing his older man alive, but then again, after all the crazy revelations he'd been fed recently, nothing made sense to him anymore.

What hurt him most was the fact that his own wife didn't recognize him, and to add insult to injury, she let that scar-faced moron treat her as though they were lovers. Perhaps they were? Anything could be possible in this twisted bat-shittery. Everybody kept telling him he was crazy, yet he couldn't help but think that he was the one surrounded by a bunch of raving lunatics.

"You zoned out again" his father's words snapped him out of his trance.

The older man sat across from his son, and to Vegeta's great surprise, took out a cigarette from his pocket, quickly lighting it with a silver zippo lighter.

"As a child, you hated vegetables, remember?" the older man asked casually, then without waiting for his son's reply continued, "I almost had to force you to eat them".

He drew deeply on his cigarette and puffed out a cloud of smoke. "You used to call me The Vegetable King because of that" the man added, chuckling lightly.

"You came here to talk about my past culinary preferences?" Vegeta asked irritably. "What's your point?"

Another inhale of smoke, followed by a long puff.

"I came here because Dr. Briefs told me you're in trouble again. Every now and then, he calls me and asks me to retell the story of your life… our lives, then you remember for a while, but eventually you forget, so I come back and we start this dance we've had for 10 years all over again. And let me tell you, Ian, every time it pains me to relive all of it again and again and again, but I always come back because I consider it to be my punishment".

"Your punishment?" Vegeta asked incredulous.

"Yes, for I am responsible for your condition. You're here because of me, because of all the mistakes that I made, because I couldn't protect you, because I let you down…"

"Because you gave me away to Freeza?"

"There is no Freeza!" his father suddenly exclaimed. "Don't you get it yet? Do you even know why you're _here_, Ian?"

"I..I don't know…everything's so fucked-up" Vegeta admitted, hiding his face in his hands, feeling a strong headache approaching.

The older man took another draw of his cigarette to calm himself.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have exploded on you like that" Vegeta's father said sincerely.

"Just tell me… tell me everything".

* * *

**Capsule Corps. Medical Ward**

Bulma sat quietly next to her husband's hospital bed, stroking her unconscious spouse's long, thick hair. She was surrounded by her friends: Goku, Gohan, ChiChi, Krilin and even Yamcha. Trunks stood quietly in the corner of the room, his shoulders dropped, staring intently at the green floor tiles.

Goku approached Bulma and in a gesture of comfort put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, he'll get through this" he said in an uncharacteristic serious tone, then turned to the comatose prince, "come back to us Vegeta, everybody's worried and besides…we gotta spar sometime again. I'm sure you've got some new technique hidden up your sleeve".

Goku gave Bulma a sad smile, and she silently thanked him by nodding her head.

"Do you think he can hear us?" Krilin asked, also sounding concerned, "I mean, is there any way we can help him?"

Bulma let out a sigh. "The doctors say they don't know when... or _if_ he wakes up" she finally said, not noticing the way her son winced upon hearing these words. "They do know the coma is caused by some enzyme that got to his system when he was bitten during the attack…but they have no idea how to get rid of it".

The room became quiet again as everybody took in the information. Bulma could feel tears gathering at the corners of her eyes, but she tried to push them back. _Now'_s _not the time for waterworks _she chided herself and reached down to kiss her husband on the cheek. "Time to wake up, hon." she whispered in his ear, "Please, wake up".

Trunks couldn't take it anymore. The sudden wave of guilt hit him harder than any blow he'd ever received by the most powerful enemies..or his father. He rushed to Vegeta's bed, and hid his face in his father's chest.

"Dad**…**it's all my fault…" the boy said, his lips quivering in a futile effort to stop the upcoming sobs, "I'll never forgive myself if….if you…"

"Trunks…" Bulma whispered, trying to embrace her son, but the lavender-haired boy gently pushed her away.

"Dad's here because of me..because of _my _mistakes, because I couldn't protect myself….because I let him down" he cried miserably, failing to control the tears any longer, as they started flowing freely down his cheeks.

* * *

**_FLASHBACK_**

Goku and Vegeta were in the middle of a long sparring session in the desert, both battered and bruised, but happy they could finally relish their competitive, Sayian nature. They were accompanied by their sons, the inseparable duo, Goten and Trunks, who were captivated by their fathers' impeccable fighting techniques and unmatched strength.

Both Goku and Vegeta were in their SSJ2 states, exchanging powerful blows and swift kicks, occasionally throwing ki blasts at each other.

"Wow, Vegeta, you've really gotten stronger since the last time we fought" Goku said with sincerity, blocking the prince's punch aimed at his face.

"Save your praises for someone who gives a damn, Kakkarot!" Vegeta snarled, although there was no real animosity in his voice.

"Dad, uncle Goku, can we fight you?" Trunks threw in, giving his best pleading look.

"Pretty please" Goten added, directing his hopeful gaze towards his father.

Vegeta wasn't happy with the interruption, and the prospect of having to downgrade his abilities to avoid seriously injuring the boys didn't sound appealing to him either. On the other hand, he did feel a tinge of pride for his son's eagerness to challenge much stronger opponents. The brat was partly Sayian after all.

"Alright boys, show us what you got" Goku said cheerfully, getting into a defensive stance.

"Fine, whatever" Vegeta muttered under his breath, secretly hoping Trunks would land a good punch or two on Kakkarot's irritating mug.

"Alright!" Goten and Trunks exclaimed simultaneously, excited to show off their skills to their fathers.

Trunks gave Goten a knowing look, and the two quickly powered up to transform into their SSJ states, then just as fast proceeded to do a fusion dance.

With a loud growl, followed by a blinding flash of golden light, the two boys merged into one small but powerful figure of Gotenks, in his SS3 form.

Vegeta smirked. "So, this will be a challenge after all".

Just as the Sayians were about to engage in a fierce battle, Goku's head shot upwards in surprise.

"I feel some unknown power level approaching Earth" he announced.

"Yes, I feel it too" Vegeta confirmed, "but it seems relatively weak, of no threat to us, that's for sure".

"Whoever that is, I can take him!" Gotenks volunteered excitedly.

"Now hold on, Gotenks" Goku said, scratching the back of his head, "we don't even know if that person..or thing..or something… has bad intentions".

"Fool, when's the last time someone came to Earth with _good_ intentions?" Vegeta scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Whenever someone sets foot on this mudball of a planet, their only intention is to turn it into space dust".

Goku let out a nervous laugh. "I guess you're right" he admitted, grinning.

As if on cue, a small spaceship landed with a thud before the three warriors. The door of the spacecraft opened, and a small, purple-skinned figure walked out. The alien's physical appearance did not impress the Sayians, as he wasn't much taller than Gotenks, his body slender and wrinkled. His hair was jet-black, matching the color of his empty, dark eyes. The alien didn't even wear any sort of an armor, as he was clad in a long, white, poncho-like garment. In fact, the only possibly intimidating aspect of the alien's appearance were his razor-sharp fangs sticking out of his thin, bluish mouth.

"I smell the filth of Sayians" the alien hissed, scowling at the warriors, "prepare to die!"

"So much for good intentions" Goku said, rolling his eyes. "Who are you and what do you want?" he asked in a more serious tone.

"I am Cobalt, the last living Mauritian. My beautiful planet, Mauria, had been destroyed along with its entire population many years ago by the ruthless Sayians, who sold it to the PTO" the alien replied, his tone dripping with hatred.

"PTO?" Goku asked in confusion.

"Planet Trade Organization" Vegeta explained lackadaisically, apparently unfazed by the alien's sorrowful story.

"I spent decades plotting my revenge, and now I will kill anyone with even a hint of Sayian blood coursing through their veins!" Cobalt exclaimed, clenching his fists in rage.

"Tell me what else is new" Vegeta said sarcastically.

"Listen, we don't want any trouble here" Goku spoke up, "I'm sorry your planet got destroyed, but we can't be held responsible for all the bad deed of our ancestors".

"Silence! Do not try to sweet-talk me, you fool. I will avenge my people by spilling Sayian blood!" Cobalt screamed, getting ready to attack at any moment.

"Can I take him out already?" Gotenks asked, sounding bored with the whole conversation, but anxious to get into a fight.

"Alright, but go easy on him. You're much stronger than him, so don't be a bully, ok?" Goku replied.

"Hmpf, always the altruist, eh Kakkarot?" Vegeta asked in a mocking tone, and gave him one of his lopsided smirks.

"Alta-what?" Goku asked and laughed, once again scratching his head.

"Do not underestimate me!" Cobalt yelled and rushed at Gotenks with full force, kicking and punching the younger warrior with all the strength he could muster.

Gotenks didn't even try to block the alien's ferocious attacks, tormenting the attacker by ostentatiously yawning and cleaning his nails.

"Eh, I thought this guy would be more of a challenge" Goku said, sounding disappointed.

"I wouldn't write him off just yet Kakkarot" Vegeta said, surprising the younger Sayian. "His power level may be weak, but I've heard these Mauritians are not to be underestimated".

Goku's face turned serious again. Vegeta didn't strike him as one to be particularly cautious when fighting weaker opponents, but the prince had more experience with extraterrestrials, and if he said this one wasn't to be treated lightly, then there must be something ominous the Mauritian had in stock for the fused boys.

Gotenks, unfortunately, didn't have that knowledge. He was toying with his opponent, occasionally responding to his attacks with a light punch to the nose, which always sent Cobalt flying high into the air.

After only a few minutes the enraged Mauritian looked battered and bruised, although Gotenks didn't inflict any serious injuries on him.

"This is pathetic" Gotenks complained, "why don't you give up and save yourself the embarrassment".

Instead of coming up with a snappy comeback to the insult, Cobalt smirked maliciously, and gathered his ki to form a powerful, dark energy ball. He threw it at the fused Sayian, but Gotenks swat it away as if it was an irritating fly rather than a deadly attack.

"This is boring" Gotenks complained, unhappy that his opponent's power was so unimpressive.

"Then give me your best shot, smart guy" Cobalt challenged.

"Looks like somebody's got a death wish" Gotenks responded arrogantly, as he started powering up his Kame-hame-ha attack.

"Something's not right" Goku whispered to Vegeta, concern evident in his voice. "Gotenks' power-level is decreasing!"

Vegeta nodded, but didn't comment. He had no idea what was going on but he was ready to step in if the boys get in trouble.

Just as Gotenks was about to fire his finishing attack, the fusion suddenly fell apart, leaving the two dumbfounded boys sprawled on the ground.

"What the heck?!" Trunks yelled surprised.

"The fusion was supposed to last longer" Goten whined.

Cobalt let out a bark of laughter. "Fools, my attack wasn't meant to injure you. Its purpose was to absorb your energy!"

As if to illustrate his words, Cobalt powered up, causing the ground beneath his feet to shake violently under the incredible power. The boys' eyes widened at the aliens unexpected display.

"Oh no, his power level is comparable to that of a Super Sayian 3!" Goku exclaimed, still shocked at the way Cobalt managed to turn the tables so quickly.

"We'd better take over from here, Kakkarot" Vegeta said, transforming into SS2.

Goku followed lead, powering up as well. "If he's able to somehow absorb our energy, we better finish this as soon as possible. No horsing around, right?"

Vegeta smirked. "Right" he confirmed, and rushed at the alien.

The two warriors immediately engaged in a powerful onslaught of punches and kicks aimed at the Mauritian, who only managed to block and dodge a few of them with great difficulty. To his credit, Cobalt managed to land a few blows himself, but he wasn't as skilled and experienced at hand-to-hand combat as the two Sayians, and he didn't even know how to utilize the great power he obtained from Gotenks.

"Go dad!" Trunks cheered his father, watching the battle from afar.

"You're the best daddy!" Goten yelled, jumping excitedly.

After taking a swift knee in the gut from Vegeta, and a devastating kick to the head served by Goku, Cobalt found himself crushing headfirst into the ground, creating a great crater in the place of the fall.

"Had enough?" Goku asked, landing in front of his now completely bloodied opponent.

Cobalt was panting hard, feeling his power drastically decrease.

"I'm no match for you" the Mauritian finally admitted, "finish this".

"Allow me to do the honors" Vegeta said, extending his right hand to form a deadly energy attack in his palm that would undoubtedly end the alien's life.

"Wait, Vegeta" Goku said in a calm voice. "Let him go. He suffered enough". Then turning to face Cobalt, Goku added, "You came here looking for revenge, but the people who caused you harm are long dead. You should let go of your pain and try to live your life, use your powers for the benefit of others, not for destruction".

Vegeta just rolled his eyes, but dissolved his attack as asked. Crossing his arms, the prince turned away from the two. He hated all the mushy stuff Kakkarot was so fond of anyway.

Cobalt kneeled before Goku, but the naïve Sayian didn't catch the evil glimmer in his eye.

"I owe you an apology" the alien said, with feigned sincerity. "It appears there are honorable, good-natured Sayians in the universe after all".

Vegeta grunted in annoyance but didn't move from his spot.

Cobalt slowly stood up and approached Goku, extending his hand in an act of reconciliation. Just as Goku was about to return the gesture, the Mauritian threw sand in the Sayian's eyes, and disappeared in a flash.

"Ouh, my eyes!" Goku exclaimed, making Vegeta turn around, frantically looking around the desert to locate the double-crossing alien.

The prince sensed Cobalt's ki approaching the unsuspecting Trunks and Goten, and at the last moment, from the corner of his eye, he saw the alien reappearing before the two boys, extending his fangs, ready to attack his son.

"Trunks, look out!" Vegeta yelled.

Trunks was so stunned, he let his guard down, leaving himself open to Cobalt's unexpected assault. Without giving it a second thought, Vegeta used his super speed to reappear in front of his son, and before he knew it, he felt a sharp pain in his neck, as Cobalt sunk his fangs in his carotid artery.

Vegeta screamed in agony, as his vision blurred, feeling a burning sensation in his neck. His ki dropped rapidly causing his SSJ transformation to fade away.

"Dad!" Trunks cried in shock at seeing his father's distress.

The weakened prince barely registered Cobalt being torn away from him by Goku and destroyed in a powerful Kame-hame-ha attack, before everything went black.

_**END OF FLASHBACK**_

* * *

**Capsule Corps. Medical Ward**

Trunks was still crying, completely overwhelmed by the feeling of guilt for his father's current state.

"What are we going to do?" Gohan asked miserably, "how can we help him?"

"I'm afraid you can't" a high-pitched, male voice suddenly boomed in everyone's heads.

"King Kai?" Goku asked surprised, intuitively looking up. "Tell us what you know".

"The Mauritians are not very skilled fighters, but apart from absorbing their opponents' energy, they are known for their deadly psychic attacks" the ruler of the North Galaxy explained.

"Psychics attacks?" Everyone present in the room, save from Vegeta, asked in unison.

"Cobalt infected Vegeta with some poisonous enzyme that not only caused him to fall into a coma, but literally trapped him in his own mind!" the Kai continued, "The only way for Vegeta to wake up is to overcome his inner demons… or whatever's in that head of his".

The room went silent as everyone let the information sink in.

"So, basically you're saying, Vegeta has to deal with this on his own?" Goku finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes" King Kai confirmed. "I don't know exactly how this attack works, but I'm afraid Vegeta time to recover is limited. His body's getting weaker; if he doesn't wake up soon, he'll die" the Kai solemnly added, which caused everyone to gasp in shock.

"My husband is head-strong" Bulma said with newfound determination, placing her hand on top of Vegeta's, and giving it a light squeeze. "He'll get through this, I know it. He has to…"

**TBC…**

* * *

**Author's note:** Ok, so everything's more or less clear now… or is it? Will Vegeta wake up from the coma or will he stay trapped in his own mind till death comes to claim him? More drama to ensue in the upcoming chapters. Pls, lemme know what you think by leaving a review :)


	5. Photographs

**PREVIOUSLY ON REALITY CRISIS**

(Vegeta wakes up in a mental institution)

Vegeta: _What the hell is going on here? Where am I?_

Zamarion: „Sometimes I really do wonder what screwed you up so bad…"

Dr. Briefs: „Your name is Ian Say. You're a patient at St. Mary's Mental Health Institute. You have been with us for over 10 years…"

Vegeta: „You think I'm a nutcase"

Vegeta (sees his father) „Is that really you?"

Bulma: "You are to address me as 'Doctor' or 'Dr. B.', if you like. That's how my patients and coworkers call me…"

(Cobalt attacks Trunks, Vegeta stands in the way)

Trunks: Dad…it's all my fault…

King Kai: "Cobalt infected Vegeta with some poisonous enzyme that not only caused him to fall into a coma, but literally trapped him in his own mind!"

"If he doesn't wake up soon, he'll die…"

Vegeta's father: „Do you even know why you're here, Ian?"

Vegeta: „I..I don't know…everything's so fucked-up"

„Tell me..tell me everything"

* * *

_My husband is head-strong…..He'll get through this, I know it._

Vegeta looked around the room to locate the source of the soothing voice of his wife, but then reminded himself she wasn't there.

"You're hearing them again, aren't you?" his father asked, although it sounded more like a statement than a question.

"Huh?"

"The voices. You're hearing them again" the older man repeated.

Vegeta reluctantly nodded his head. There was no point in lying to his father.

"I thought you were dead…" the prince whispered, trying to change the subject.

"In a sense I was" the other man replied, earning a curious gaze from his son. "Everything started when you were just five years old…after the accident, in a way, we've all lost our lives".

"What accident? I don't understand".

The older man put out his cigarette, and shook his head. After a short while, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a stack of old photographs, handing one to Vegeta. It was a picture of a beautiful, young, dark-haired woman.

"Dou you recognize her?" the man asked hopefully.

"No".

"That's Elena, your mother".

Vegeta studied the photograph with more interest now. He had no memories of his mother, as Sayian children had been mostly raised by their fathers or male tutors. In fact, very few Sayians had gotten to know their mothers at all, and nobody had made a big deal out of it. That's just how their society had worked. Still, seeing a picture of his mother now was quite a pleasant surprise.

"So…where is she?" Vegeta asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"She's dead" Vegeta's father replied, pain evident in his voice.

_Of course she is, why would I assume otherwise?_ Vegeta thought, furrowing his eyebrows. _Just because Father had somehow survived the destruction…._

"She died in a car accident, when you were a small child" his father's words interrupted his musings.

"A _car_ accident?"

"After that, everything has changed… I couldn't deal with it, I couldn't take care of you… I..I started drinking…"

Vegeta couldn't believe what he was hearing. His father? Drinking? Did everything have to be so screwed-up all of a sudden?

Seeing his son's distress, the man hesitated for a second before continuing. "I drank to relieve the pain, to forget. My pain had become unbearable so I was drinking all the time, day and night. Nothing else mattered to me. I did everything to stop thinking… to stop feeling for a while. Before I knew it, I lost myself… and I lost you… You used to idolize me. I was you hero. But then I became a shell of myself. When they took you away from me, I was too loaded to even notice it".

Vegeta's father hung his head in shame, avoiding his son's scrutinizing gaze. He then handed him another picture. It showed a short, middle-aged woman, who seemed eerily familiar to Vegeta with her piercing eyes that seemed red on the flashed photo, and thin, crimson lips slightly curled upwards in a mocking smirk. She was holding a glass of red wine in her hand, looking directly in the camera with a cold, emotionless glare.

"That's aunt Freeda. She took care of you." Vegeta heard his father explain. "I thought it'd be a good idea. I hoped she'd give you a home…"

Vegeta didn't say a word. That was just too much to handle. He wasn't sure he could take another revelation. Was he really that delusional? Everything started to make sense now, but it was a really hard pill to swallow.

"Freeda wasn't the kind of warm and loving person I wished for her to be" the older man said, which to his surprise earned him a sad chuckle form his son.

"Now that's an understatement of the year" Vegeta said, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry Ian. I'm sorry you had to go through this" his father said with remorse. "I can only imagine how hard it must have been for you to lose your mother, then to lose me, just to end up in another dysfunctional home. You know, I tried visiting you sometimes, but Freeda never let me in. Can't blame her really, since I usually came so drunk I could barely stand on my feet. In your eyes I was already dead".

Hearing his father's confession made the prince really tired, both physically and mentally. He glanced at the stack of photographs on the desk and took them in his hand. He then proceeded to browse through them without much interest, until two old photos caught his attention.

The first one was apparently taken during his 13th birthday party, showing him as a small boy, ready to blow out the candles on the cake. Aunt Freeda was there as well, glaring at him from across the room, holding her ever-present glass of wine. But Vegeta was taken aback by someone else's presence in the picture - Kakkarot! The goofy teen was surrounded by a bunch of friends, laughing and having a good time, but none of them was paying any mind to the lonely prince, who was left alone at the table.

The other photo was taken during some sports competition at school. Standing on top of the three level podium was none other than Kakkarot, greening goofily, proudly holding a giant, gold cup. The runner-up, Vegeta, was standing to his left, on the lower level of the platform, sulking and scowling at the camera.

"What the hell is that clown doing in these photos?" Vegeta asked irritably. As if it wasn't bad enough to have his pathetic childhood reduced to a few lousy snapshots, that idiot, Kakkarot, had to stick out his stupid mug in them as well.

"That's Songo Kakarov, your childhood friend" Vegeta's father replied. "You two used to compete in everything against each other. You always felt second-best to him, always tried to gain the upper-hand…"

"But I never managed to defeat him, right?" Vegeta finished, smiling bitterly.

His father nodded in confirmation. "Dr. Briefs says, in your fantasy world, you tend to dehumanize people you hold a grudge against. He says you turned Aunt Freeda into some cruel, monster-like, intergalactic tyrant, and Songo became both your alien-comrade and invincible rival".

"Weren't you the one who told me I was destined for greatness? Didn't you feed me with all that shit about legendary warriors in the first place?!" Vegeta exclaimed, feeling irritated and betrayed by his father's insinuation that everything that had happened in his life was a fantasized exaggeration. "You taught me so much about strength, honor and pride, and that was all that kept me going for all these years!" he added, his voice faltering, "And now.. now you're telling me…"

"They were just bedtime stories Ian. Nothing more".

Vegeta hid his face in his hands again, feeling his headache increasing. His whole world was shattered, as he could not deny the truth anymore. He really wished all of it was just a nightmare he could wake up from, but everything seemed just too real, too vivid and too painful to be a dream.

"Dr Briefs says you developed a second personality - that of a powerful prince - and created your own world to isolate yourself from all the disappointments and hardships of reality" the older man said thoughtfully, careful not to anger his son again.

Receiving no response from the troubled young man, Vegeta's father rose from his seat and cautiously approached him.

"Look at me Ian" he commanded, putting his hands on Vegeta's shoulders. "Look at me!"

Vegeta raised his head but tried to avoid eye contact.

"I wasn't there when you needed me the most" his father said, tightening his grip on Vegeta's shoulders, "but I'm here now. When I found out about your problems… it was a wake-up call. I stopped drinking, Ian. It took me a while but I did it. And I'm here for you. I'll help you get through this, I promise".

Overwhelmed with emotions, Vegeta closed his eyes, but did not speak up.

"Look, In your fantasy, you're a warrior, right?"

Vegeta nodded, his eyes still closed.

"Well I want you to fight now!"

Vegeta open his eyes. He studied his father's face, expecting to detect some signs of mockery, but instead he found sincerity and determination in the older man's eyes.

"I want you to fight for your life and win it back, like I've won mine!"

"How?" the younger man asked quietly, unsure of himself.

"Take your meds, listen to Dr. Briefs, forget about flying men, dragon balls, and creatures out of space. Can you do that Ian? Can you promise me that?" the older man pleaded in a determined tone.

"What about Bulma? What about my son?"

"Dr. Briefs' daughter is not your wife. Your son _does not_ exist".

Vegeta swallowed hard, his throat dry and his vision swimming with fatigue. That's what he'd been hearing from _everybody_ recently – that he didn't have a family, that he was not who he'd thought he was. Suddenly he felt lightheaded and exhausted. He couldn't think straight, couldn't focus.

"Do you promise?" Vegeta's father repeated his earlier question, his voice full of hope and expectation.

Vegeta lowered his head in resignation and let out a quiet sigh.

"I…. I promise".

"Then say your name. Say your _real _name".

"My name is…" Vegeta paused. He still didn't get used to his new identity. No, correction, that was his _old_ identity. His _true_ self. If he was to get better and fulfill his promise, he needed to accept that. It was important to say it aloud and admit it to his father and himself.

"My name is Ian".

For the first time, his father smiled. "There is hope for you boy".

**TBC….**

* * *

**Author's note: So, how did you like this chapter? Vegeta is willing to undergo treatment now, which probably doesn't bode well for his comatose self. Find out what Bulma and the others will do about it in the next chapter. **

** This time around, Aunt Freeda and Songo Kakarov made a cameo. Btw, Kakarov is an actual surname (Bulgarian methinks), while Songo is just Goku's name in the Polish dub (trivia!). Anyone else you'd like to see make an appearance in Vegeta's head? Let me know and pls leave a review. Thank you to everybody who already did. I really appreciate it! Stay tuned! **


	6. One Wedding, One Funeral

**PREVIOUSLY ON REALITY CRISIS: **

Dr. Briefs: "Your condition is called Dissociative Identity Disorder….. but you also fell victim to a severe case of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder with periodic delusional episodes. These mental illnesses cause you to lose touch with reality…."

King Kai: „His body's getting weaker; if he doesn't wake up soon, he'll die"

Vegeta's father: "I want you to fight for your life and win it back, like I've won mine!"

"Say your name. Say your _real_ name".

Vegeta: "My name is Ian".

* * *

**Capsule Corps. Medical Ward**

Bulma glanced thoughtfully at her unconscious husband, who was now hooked up to various machines monitoring his vital sings. It's been over a weak since Cobalt's attack, and Vegeta still hasn't shown any signs of recovery. In fact, his condition was getting worse. Goku and Gohan would come in to check up on both her and Vegeta every single day, but as much as she was grateful for their continuous support, her heart and mind were filled with worry.

She turned to her childhood friend and let out a sigh. "I don't know what to do anymore" she admitted, shaking her head. "Every day he's getting weaker. He's lost a lot of weight, his breathing became shallow, and his skin is so pale…"

Goku furrowed his eyebrows in concern. "His ki level is almost undetectable. I hate to say this, but we're running out of time".

"Well, waiting things out obviously isn't helping" Gohan interjected, "so we'd better come up with a plan. We can't just sit and wait until Vegeta…" the younger of the Sons stopped himself, unwilling to verbalize the possible end-result of the prince's condition.

"Until my father dies" they heard a young, pained voice finish the sentence.

Trunks walked into the room, looking depressed, his eyes red and puffy from all the tears he had shed.

"Trunks…" Bulma whispered, heartbroken at the miserable sight of her child.

The boy was taking Vegeta's illness harder than anybody else, not only feeling devastated by his father state, but also continuing to blame himself for everything that had happened during the fight against the Mauritian. Bulma had spent long hours trying to convince her son that it wasn't his fault, but Trunks insisted that if Gotenks had finished Cobalt off when he had the chance to do so instead of fooling around, none of this would have happened to his father.

"Your father won't die, Trunks" Goku said, trying to sound reassuringly. "We won't let it happen!"

"But what can we do?" Trunks asked, clenching his fists. "I heard mom talking with the doctors. They don't know how to get rid of that freakin' poison in dad's system, and we have no clue what's going on in his head right now!"

"Then we will find out!" Bulma said in a determined tone, surprising everyone in the room. She placed her hands on her hips, as if to challenge anyone willing to question her authority.

"How do we do that?" Gohan asked hopefully, recognizing a familiar spark of determination and brilliance in the woman's eyes.

"I think I have an idea!" she replied, turning to face Goku once again. "Tell me, how exactly does instant transmission work?"

* * *

Ian was sitting quietly on a comfortable sofa in Dr. Briefs' office, pretending to pay attention to the older man jabbering about something called Johari's Window or whatnot.

Several days had passed since Ian last talked to his father, although truth be told, he had lost track of time a long time ago. It almost seemed as if the passage of time was irrelevant behind the yellowish walls of the mental institution. Sometimes days felt like weeks or even months, but nobody seemed to notice nor care about it.

Ian had promised his father he'd try his best to recover from his "mental illness" and so far he was keeping his word: he was taking his meds without complaint, he regularly, albeit reluctantly, attended Dr. Briefs' therapeutic sessions and he wasn't even getting into fights with the orderlies.

That's not to say he even began to enjoy his stay at the hospital. Ian hated the side effects of the pills he was forced to take, since they were making him feel numb and disoriented. He lost his appetite, he was having trouble with concentration and he couldn't remember the last time he'd had a good night's sleep. Zamarion and Dorian were still being dickheads, although one time the taller man admitted he liked Ian better now that he was actually trying to become _normal_.

_Normal, humpf,_ Vegeta thought bitterly to himself, _as if anything was normal in this wretched loony bin._

At least the voices in his head weren't tormenting him so often now, although from time to time, he could swear he heard quiets sobs of a child. Something else was bothering him though. He couldn't stop thinking about his encounter with Dr. B earlier that day….

* * *

**_FLASHBACK _**

Standing in the long, dim hallway was Ian, staring out a large, barred window with a view on a nearby park. The weather was beautiful, sunny, the rays shining through branches of trees. Ian noticed two young boys playing together, pretending they were martial artists, half-heartedly throwing weak punches at each other. The view of the two kids laughing and having a good time, surrounded by lush, green flora contrasted sharply with the hospital's somber, quiet surroundings.

Captivated by the sight before him, Ian didn't even notice a certain blue-haired doctor silently watching his back.

"We had that leaking pipe fixed in your room" she casually said, startling him.

He turned around, quickly recovering from his reverie.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to spook you" she added and gave him a bright smile.

"You didn't _spook_ me" he replied, trying to sound offended. After a few seconds of hesitation, he quietly asked her, "Do you think I'll ever get out of here?"

"I'm sure you will. Father says you're doing better and better. You're not hallucinating anymore".

"So much for doctor-patient confidentiality" he mumbled, but couldn't bring himself to be really upset with her. She responded with an apologetic smile, throwing her arms up.

Ian then noticed a silver piece of jewelry on her left hand ring finger. "What's that?" he asked, pointing at it, hoping no to sound too intrigued. The ring was new, she hadn't been wearing one before, and knowing Earthling customs, this could only mean one thing…

"It's an engagement ring" she responded proudly, though she did feel a little uncomfortable knowing how he tended to fantasize about them being married. "Yamcha finally popped the question" she added, giggling nervously.

"You… you're marrying that idiot?" he asked incredulous, feeling a tinge of jealousy. An uncomfortable silence occurred between them.

_Remember Ian, she's not your woman anymore. No! She never was your woman to begin with!_ he mentally scolded himself, but couldn't overcome the feeling of disappointment and sadness.

"He's not an idiot!" she responded, scowling at him. "We love each other very much".

That confession hit him harder than he was willing to admit, but he tried his best to hide his feelings. "I don't suppose I'm invited to your wedding?" he tried joking, although his tone was anything but playful.

"Maybe one day, you'll invite me to yours" she said, then gave him a sad smile and walked away.

As he watched her retreading figure, he couldn't help but feel betrayed and abandoned.

"Well… that was kinda awkward" he heard a familiar voice say. It was Karim, as usual sticking his nose (if he had one) in other people's business.

"Get lost baldy" Ian snapped at him angrily.

Karim threw his hands up in defense. "Hey, chill out man. I just came to tell you it's lunch time"

"I'm not hungry"

The other man smiled knowingly, wiggling his eyebrows. "You like her don't you?"

"Mind your own damn business!" Ian hissed, not in the mood to talk to _anyone_, especially the intrusive little pest.

"You know what I think?" Karim asked, oblivious to Ian's growing irritation. "I think Dr. B. likes you too!"

"Yeah, 'cause being screwed in the head is such a turn-on" Ian said sarcastically. It became obvious to him that in Bulma's eyes he was nothing more but a sick puppy that occasionally needed a kind word to sooth his emotional turmoil. Pathetic.

"Every time she sees you, she tries making conversation, and you're not even her patient!" Karim continued excitedly. "Trust me, I could practically _smell_ unresolved sexual tension between the two of you"

Ian scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "And here I was thinking _I'm_ delusional".

Karim huffed in exasperation. "Come on, admit it already! You have feelings for her!"

"It doesn't matter what I feel! She's getting married you dolt!" Ian yelled, unable to contain his anger any more.

"Married?" Karim asked, surprised. "Well…. that sucks…"

"Yes, indeed, it sucks" Ian spat, facing the window once again, letting Karim know the conversation was over.

**_END OF FLASHBACK_**

* * *

Ian was so lost in his own thoughts, still brooding over Bulma's upcoming wedding, that he didn't even realize he was completely ignoring Dr. Briefs' questions. The psychiatrist loudly cleared his throat, snapping Ian out of his melancholy.

"You haven't heard a word I said, have you Ian?" Dr. Briefs asked, carefully eyeing his patient.

"Sorry" the younger man mumbled, somewhat embarrassed.

"How are you feeling? What's bothering you?"

Ian shrugged. The stupid medication he was currently on made it impossible for him to feel _anything_, and he certainly wasn't going to admit to day-dreaming about the doctor's daughter. He wasn't _that_ crazy.

"You know, I wanted to tell you I'm very proud of you" Dr. Briefs said, earning a surprised look from his patient. "You really made progress Ian. I think you're ready now".

"Ready for what?" Ian asked, his facial expression betraying confusion.

The doctor's face turned serious. "Ready to make a huge step towards a full recovery".

Ian raised his eyebrow and tilted his head to the side, silently urging the doctor to continue.

"Ian, you are ready now to kill off Vegeta".

**TBC….**

* * *

**Author's note:** Dun dun dum. I don't know about you guys, but I love myself a good cliffy. Bulma has a plan to help Vegeta and Dr. Briefs has a plan to help Ian. The proverbial s**t hit the fan. Stay tuned!

Thank you to all reviewers for your support. It means a lot to me, and I'm open to your suggestions. Let me know what you think!


	7. Memento Mori

**PREVIOUSLY ON REALITY CRISIS:**

Dr. Briefs: "Your condition is called Dissociative Identity Disorder…."

Vegeta's father: "Say your name. Say your _real_ name"

Vegeta: "My name is Ian".

Goku: "His ki level is almost undetectable. I hate to say this, but we're running out of time"

Bulma: "I think I have an idea! Tell me, how exactly does instant transmission work?"

Dr. Briefs: . "You really made progress Ian. I think you're ready now".

Ian: "Ready for what?"

Dr. Briefs: "Ian, you are ready now to kill off Vegeta".

* * *

**Capsule Corps: Bulma's lab.**

The blue-haired scientist didn't leave her laboratory for five days straight. Busy working on her super-tech Ki-converter, which she intended to be her husband's possible ticket out o his predicament, Bulma knew she was pressed for time. Three days earlier Vegeta's condition had worsened even more, leaving him incapable of breathing on his own. The doctors had to incubate him, hooking him up to a medical ventilator to support his respiratory system.

Bulma mentally sighed at the horrid memory of her husband almost suffocating that night. At this rate, he might not survive till the end of the week. Good thing she had her father and Gohan - the brightest of the Son family – to aid her in building the machine. Recalling Goku's words about Instant Transmission, she knew exactly what they needed to do…

* * *

**_FLASHBACK_**

Goku scratched his head, trying to figure out how to explain the difficult mechanism of using Instant Transmission to Bulma. Sure, the process looked simple enough on the outside – one just puts their fingers to their forehead, focuses, and subsequently vanishes into thin air, just to reappear in their desired destination the next second – but Goku knew there was a good reason why very few creatures in the universe were capable of using that technique.

"I'm not sure I can explain this in simple words" the good-natured Sayian admitted, making Bulma furrow her brows.

"In case you forgot, Goku, I'm a _genius_" Bulma reminded him, emphasizing the last word, "and I think I can grasp it".

"Well, ok, if you say so. You see, energy is everywhere" Goku said, spreading his arms wide to show his point. "The whole universe is surrounded by and sorta sunk in life energy".

"Ok, yeah, I get that" Bulma said, rolling her eyes.

"But when we use our _Ki_, we basically let out concentrated streams of energy stored in our bodies".

"I understand. So Ki is basically internalized, condensed cosmic-energy that you guys use to fly and blast stuff" the scientist concluded.

Goku laughed nervously. "Did I say that? Well I guess that's what I meant. Anyways, when I use IT, I literally have to reverse that process. For a split second, my body turns into pure cosmic-energy that flows freely around the world. Then I pick a place I want to rematerialize back to. It all happens very fast".

Gohan clasped his hands. "I get it know. It sorta works like the Internet. The universe is like a world wide web, and IT works like a hyperlink allowing dad to reach any place in the world in a matter of seconds!"

Goku scratched his head again, confused. "Well, son, I don't know about that. I've never been good with computers… But what I do know is, I can't use Instant Transmission to get into somebody's head. I mean, If I rematerialized inside Vegeta's scull, well…things might turn ugly…"

"Unless…" Bulma said thoughtfully, "unless we convert the energy you use during IT into brain waves".

Gohan snapped his fingers in understanding. "That way dad wouldn't literally materialize inside Vegeta's head, but rather appear in his _mind_, like a dream vision of some sorts".

Bulma nodded. "Exactly! Now what we need to do is create a Ki-converter, hook it to Vegeta's head, change Goku's energy into Delta waves and allow him to literally enter Vegeta's mind."

"Gee guys, you make it sound so simple" Goku said with a smile, "but can you really pull it off?"

Bulma winked at him and gave him a bright smile on her own. "Must I remind you again, I'm a genius inventor?"

Of course, the Capsule Corp. heiress knew very well, it was all easier said than done.

**_END OF FLASHBACK_**

* * *

"What do you mean _kill Vegeta off_?" Ian asked wide-eyed. He was utterly confused now. Ever since he got there, or rather, ever since he _remembered_ waking up in the hospital, people had been telling him that Vegeta wasn't real. How could the doctor expect him to kill a person that wasn't really there? Especially if that person was supposed to be _him_ in the first place.

"Well think about it my boy" Dr. Briefs said, adjusting his glasses, "you'd already killed him before. Twice, in fact!".

"Vegeta did die twice, that's true. I... _he_ may have killed himself the second time, but it was Freeza who finished him off on Namek" Ian corrected the doctor.

"No" the doctor calmly replied, shaking his head. "In your fantasy world, Vegeta died twice because you, Ian, _wanted_ him to die. Think about it this way, everything that happened in your hallucinations was a symbolic reflection of your actual life: your abandonment issues caused by the disappearance of your father, your hatred towards aunt Freeda, your rivalry with Songo Kakarov and so on and so forth".

"But Vegeta came back to life every time…" Ian said, still not sure where the conversation was really going.

"Yes, but every death marked an end to a certain stage in Vegeta's life – and by extension, your life as well. I want you to think about what these deaths symbolize. What had changed in Vegeta's life every time he was resurrected?"

Ian furrowed his brows, mulling things over. After a few minutes, he came to a conclusion.

"The first time I… **_he_** was resurrected, he appeared on Earth, after Freeza's death.." Ian started, still hating the third-person narration he had to force himself to use when talking about Vegeta. "That was the first time in his life he felt completely free. Nobody had any control over him. He could do whatever he wanted but… he wasn't really sure what to do. I guess he didn't have a plan".

"Do you think it's a coincidence that this occurred right after your eighteenth birthday, when you decided to move out of Freeda's house?" the doctor asked.

Ian raised his eyebrows. "I… I don't remember that. But I suppose it makes sense".

"So you'd agree with me if I said Vegeta's first death symbolized adulthood - your independence, and self-reliance but also the fear of starting a new life, facing new challenges and all the problems connected with living on your own?"

Ian hesitated or a moment. "I guess".

"You tried to make a life for yourself, but it was hard, wasn't it?"

Ian nodded his head.

"And then there was one more thing you couldn't stop obsessing about - your rivalry with Kakarov." the older man continued. "He had everything you always longed for – family, friends, achievements, happiness – and it made you angry, frustrated. You hated him so much for that because all your life you had to _struggle_. And him? Everything came so easily to Songo. It was as if he didn't even have to try. You envied him, you hated his guts and you couldn't stand the fact that he still considered you his friend".

"It wasn't fair" Ian said quietly.

"You know better than anyone else that life's not fair, Ian. That's why you'd built walls around yourself and created Vegeta. It was easier for you to project all your negative emotions through that one persona. But then something changed – Vegeta sacrificed himself. He died for the benefit of others and then came back a changed man. Why is that Ian?"

"He accepted who he was. He was tired of…" Ian paused to considered his next words, "being angry all the time. He realized Kakarov will always be better than him".

"And isn't it odd that it happened the same day you came here, asking for help?"

"I came here on my own?" Ian was genuinely surprised to hear that. He never really thought about the circumstances under which he found himself locked in a mental institution in the first place.

"Yes" the doctor confirmed. "You came here ten years ago, because you decided to get your life back. Admittedly, Vegeta came back to life as well, but this time, he overcame his demons. Now it's time for you to do the same. You're ready now".

"Why now?"

"Why not? When was the last time you had hallucinations?"

Ian considered this question for a moment. "I don't know. It's been a while I guess. I can still hear them though".

"Dou you want to hear them? Or do you want the voices in your head to go away?"

"I want them to stop" Ian said. "But how do I do that? What if they come back- the hallucinations I mean".

Dr. Briefs smiled. "It's quite simple. The next time they haunt you, just ignore them. If you ever see Kakarot, Freeza or any of your old 'friends and foes' again, force them to go away. Reject them completely, and I guarantee you, that after a short while, they'll disappear. They won't bother you ever again".

"And what about Vegeta? What will happen to him?"

"You don't _need_ him anymore, Ian. He'll disappear too. And this time, his third death will be the _last_ one".

A cold shiver ran down Ian's back. So that was it? He was going to get rid of Vegeta once and for all, just like that. The Sayian prince was such a huge part of his life and now he was going to toss him away like some broken toy. I didn't feel right but Ian knew it needed to be done. He ran his hand through his hair, and gazed at the window in Dr. Briefs' office.

"And then… will I be able to get out?" Ian asked, longing to leave this awful loony bin as soon as possible.

The doctor laughed merrily. "Of course! You'll be a free man, and let me tell you, I'll be the first one to congratulate you on your recovery! You do want that, don't you?"

"Yes" the patient confirmed, sounding determined but also a little tired.

"Good. Your father will be proud, Ian".

* * *

**Capsule Corps. Medical Ward.**

Trunks was fast asleep beside his father's hospital bed, undisturbed by the regular beeping sound of the heart monitor. Ever since Vegeta stopped breathing on his own, the boy decided to keep a vigilant eye on his father's condition, but after many sleepless nights, his exhaustion took the better of him.

Suddenly a loud, clanking noise of heavy equipment being dragged into the room shook him from his slumber.

As he opened his eyes, he saw Goku and Gohan carrying some sort of metallic platform, his mother right behind them pushing a cart full of hi-tech gizmos.

"Hey guys, what's going on? What is this stuff?" the confused boy asked, pointing at the machinery that was being placed next to his father's bed.

"We did it son!" Bulma said excitedly, already getting started on installing the equipment. "This machine will help Goku get your father back!"

Trunks' eyes widened in hope and expectation. "Really? How does it work?"

"It's a long story Trunks, but trust us, we know what we're doing" Gohan replied, plugging in the device.

Goku seemed less enthusiastic than the other two. "Are you guys sure this is safe?" he finally asked. "I mean, we didn't even tested it or anything…"

"It'll work, Goku. Don't worry" Bulma assured him. "You still want to do this, right?"

"Of course! I want to help Vegeta in any way I can. I just don't want to hurt him even more".

Trunks was more than a little concerned to hear that Goku, of all people, had doubts about this endeavor.

Gohan turned to his father. "I hate to say this, but we have to take that risk. If we don't, Vegeta will die anyway".

Goku nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "So what do you want me to do exactly?" he asked with newfound determination.

Bulma pointed to the platform on the floor. "You will stand here and use Instant Transmission to change your body into pure Ki-energy. This machine here will then convert it into Delta waves, that will literally transfer you to Vegeta's subconscious" the beautiful heiress explained, placing two diodes on the prince's temples.

"And then what happens?"

"Then you'll literally find yourself in Vegeta's mind. You'll be able to see what's going on in that head of his. If he's stuck in some sort of a mental limbo, or a nightmare or whatever, you might help him snap out of it. At least that's what I'm counting on".

"Just remember dad, this is a mental realm we're talking about" Gohan cautioned, "Vegeta will see and hear you but you won't be able to use your power. In fact, I assume you'll only appear as a ghost-like figure".

"And you won't have much time either" Bulma added. "The converter uses up a lot of energy, almost frying the CPU in the process, before it shuts down completely, so you'll only have a couple of minutes".

Even though he was confused by Bulma and Gohan's techno-babble, Goku managed to grasp the essentials of his mission: get in, aid Vegeta in whatever trouble he was in, and get out ASAP. "Got it" the Sayian said, his expression serious as if he was about to face a powerful opponent. "I'm ready".

Bulma and Gohan smiled, and nodded their heads in a sign they were ready to start the rescue mission as well.

"I'm coming with" Trunks suddenly said, surprising everyone. The boy's resolved tone left no room for argument – he was Vegeta's son after all. Still, Bulma had her doubts.

"Honey, I don't know about this… I know you want to help your dad but…" Bulma started but was cut off by her son.

"Mom, please! Let me do this! I let my father down once, I'm not going to do that again".

Bulma let out a sigh. _Here we go with the guilt trip again_ she thought bitterly, but didn't have the heart to argue with her son. It was a pride thing. She knew Trunks _needed_ to do this so that, in his mind, he'd redeem himself for something that wasn't even his fault in the first place. Sometimes she wished the apple had fallen at least a little bit further from the tree.

"Alright, fine" the blue-haired genius said, "just be careful honey". Trunks smiled in appreciation.

"Don't worry Bulma, we'll be fine" Goku assured her, as he stepped onto the platform. Trunks joined him, making sure to grab the other warrior's elbow. Goku had used IT before to relocate several people, and Trunks knew he had to hold onto him for the technique to work for both of them.

"Alright, let's start in three" Gohan said, as Bulma started pushing several buttons on her console, causing the metallic platform to slightly vibrate. Goku put his two fingers to his forehead, waiting for the signal to start.

"One… two…THREE!"

With that, Goku and Trunks suddenly vanished, making the two diodes placed on Vegeta's temples sparkle for a split second.

Bulma put her hand to her heart. "Good luck guys" she whispered.

**TBC…**

* * *

**Author's note:**

Hi guys, sorry for the late update. Work and life things are no excuse, I know, but I hope some of you are still following the story. Pls, don't flame me for the pseudo-scientific BS in this chapter – just roll with it, ok? Same thing goes for the pseudo-psychological BS that I'm so fond of ;)

Ok, so the rescue mission is underway, but this story is far from reaching an end. I have plenty of chapters planned out, but I love reading your suggestions and trying to apply them to the story. Vegeta's character-study is the essence of this fic, so feel free to share your thoughts about our beloved, princely BAMF ;) R/R.


	8. The Son He Never Had

**PREVIOUSLY ON REALITY CRISIS:**

Dr. Briefs: "If you ever see Kakarot, Freeza or any of your old 'friends and foes' again, force them to go away. Reject them completely, and I guarantee you, that after a short while, they'll disappear. They won't bother you ever again".

Ian: "And what about Vegeta? What will happen to him?"

Dr. Briefs: "You don't need him anymore, Ian. He'll disappear too. And this time, his third death will be the _last _one".

Bulma: "We did it son! This machine will help Goku get your father back!"

Gohan: "Just remember dad, this is a mental realm we're talking about. Vegeta will see and hear you but you won't be able to use your power"

Goku: "I'm ready"

Trunks: "I'm coming with!"

"I let my father down once, I'm not going to do that again"

Bulma: "Good luck guys"

* * *

Ian was sitting quietly on top of his hospital bed, knees pulled up to his chest, his thin arms wrapped around them. He was lost in thought, as he kept analyzing what the doctor had told him earlier that day.

He wasn't sure if he was ready to let Vegeta go so soon, but then again, it had been ten years already, hadn't it? Maybe it was time to move on? Allow Vegeta to die so that Ian could live again. But then again, was he capable of living on his own? What was there for him outside the hospital walls? His father - the very same man who had abandoned him before? Did he even have a home to get back to? And Bulma… Bulma wasn't even there – not for him, anyway.

There were so many questions plaguing Ian's head, and yet, he couldn't muster the strength to deal with them at that moment. The medication he was taking made sure of that. Still, there was one thing the confused patient was certain of – he wanted to get out of the mental institution as soon as possible. He was sick of this place, sick of its inmates and sick of the ubiquitous smell of fucking Lysol assaulting his nostrils, so if getting rid of Vegeta was the only way out, then so be it.

Tightening his hold on his legs, Ian put his forehead to his knees and closed his eyes when suddenly he heard a faint sound of flashing light.

"Vegeta?"

"Dad?"

_The voices, they're back!_ Ian thought with disdain, but decided not to move. _Ignore them, just ignore them like the doctor told you to._

"Is… is that my father?" Trunks asked unsure, turning to Goku. The older Sayian nodded his head, studying the prince intently.

The Instant Transmission technique combined with Bulma's technology apparently worked, allowing them to literally appear in Vegeta's mind, but both Goku and Trunks did not expect to see him in such a strange state. The gaunt, pale, short-haired man before them barely resembled the powerful, proud warrior they hoped to find.

Glancing around the white, austere room Goku's frown deepened.

"It looks like we're in a hospital of some sorts" he informed Trunks. _I sure hope they don't have needles in here_ Goku thought, but decided against sharing this particular concern with the boy. That was not the time for dealing with personal phobias. There was something definitely wrong with Vegeta, and the sooner they found out what it was, the better.

His eyes still closed, Ian put his hands to his temples in an attempt to tune out the two intruders. _They're not here, they don't exist!_ he kept reminding himself, although he couldn't deny the fact he felt a tinge of relief hearing his son's voice again. _No, Ian! You don't have a son! He's a delusion. Both of them are!_

Unaware of the prince's inner turmoil, Goku and Trunks cautiously approached his bed.

"Dad… it's me" Trunks said, reaching to touch his father's arm. Unfortunately, just as Gohan predicted, Goku and Trunks were just an apparition in Vegeta's mind so they couldn't make any physical contact. "Dad, open your eyes. Look at me" the boy pleaded, sounding more and more desperate but his words once again fell on deaf ears.

"Vegeta, what happened to you?" Goku asked, anxious to find out what was bothering his friend. Was he purposefully ignoring them, or was it that he simply couldn't hear them at all? Maybe Bulma's plan didn't work out so well after all?

Ian remained silent but he pressed his palms harder against his temples – not much of a response, but it was a _reaction_ nonetheless, convincing the younger Sayian that Vegeta could in fact actually hear them.

"Look Vegeta, we don't have much time here" Goku said urgently, "I don't know what's going on, but you have to snap out of it. I'm not sure if you're aware of it, but you're in a coma and…"

"Shut up!" Ian cut him off, his voice full of venom. "Shut up and get the fuck out!"

Shocked by his father's sudden outburst, Trunks made two steps back. Goku, on the other hand, remained where he was standing, which was decidedly too close for Ian's liking.

"Get away from me!" the disturbed man shouted, opening his eyes and directing his most hateful scowl towards Kakkarot.

"Geez, Vegeta, are you angry at me or something?" the clueless Sayian asked, trying to understand why his friend was acting so strangely. Sure, over the years he'd gotten used to Vegeta's short temper, but this time his aggressive behavior seemed completely unwarranted.

"Stop calling me that!" Ian spat, feeling another strong headache approaching.

"Calling you _what_?"

"Dad, why are you being so weird?" Trunks asked, his voice trembling now. He had never seen his father in such a terrible condition: his skin was sickly pale, there were dark circles under his eyes and his hollowed cheekbones revealed malnutrition. Any why wasn't he happy to see them? He acted as if he didn't even recognize them.

Ian hid his face in his hands. "Ignore them. Just ignore them 'till they go away" he was whispering his mantra to himself now, praying for this nightmare to be finally over.

* * *

Bulma glanced worriedly at the timer on her console. "They're running out of time. I hope everything's alright" she voiced her concern.

"What happens when the machine shuts down?" Gohan asked, immediately regretting it hadn't occurred to him beforehand to question Bulma about all the technical details.

"They'll be automatically transferred back here" the blue-haired scientist explained, glancing at the metallic platform. "If they manage to help Vegeta, he'll wake up soon after their reappearance. Darn, the CPU is almost fried, and we only have one chance at this".

Gohan gave Bulma a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'm sure dad's explaining everything to Vegeta as we speak"

* * *

"Vegeta, please let me explain!" Goku pleaded, undeterred by the fact that the other man had covered his ears to block him out. "You are in a coma after some alien guy bit you, remember?"

No response.

"Dad, please, listen to him!" Trunks begged miserably.

Still nothing.

"Look, this place is awful. You don't really want to stay here, do you?" Goku asked, silently hoping to appeal to Vegeta's logic.

"At least it's _real_" Ian mumbled, "unlike you two."

"What are you talking about, dad? None of this is real! It's all in your head!" Trunks snapped, clenching his small fists in exasperation.

Ian growled in anger. "Is that so? Well, then I suppose you're not really here either!"

"No… no, that's not what I meant" the boy said defensively, his shoulders dropping. "How can we convince you we're telling the truth?"

As if on cue, Ian stood from his bed and approached the two younger warriors with newfound determination. "Tell you what, if you are who you _claim_ to be, then why don't you blow a hole in there using your Ki" he said, pointing to the white wall opposite his bed.

Goku shook his head. "I'm afraid we can't do that. That's not how it works".

"Huh, how convenient" Ian said mockingly, crossing his arms.

At this moment Trunks' patience ran out. "Do you want to die, father? Do you!?" the boy screamed, tears flowing freely down his face. "I understand why you're angry with _me_ but think about mum! We don't want you to die, dad, but if you don't wake up soon, _you will_, don't you understand?"

"I do" Ian confirmed emotionlessly, earning two surprised gasps from his son and Goku.

* * *

The sudden, unexpected beep of the heart-monitoring machine immediately caught Bulma and Gohan's attention.

"His blood pressure is dropping" Gohan announced in an alarmed tone.

"This is not good" Bulma said, and quickly approached her husband's bed. She took his cold hand into hers and gently kissed his cheek. "Be strong, honey, just a little longer" she whispered, squeezing his palm.

Gohan looked at her knowingly. "Bulma, there's still one more option…".

"I know. But if what King Kai said is true, I don't know if we can intervene like that. Vegeta was supposed to deal with this on his own. Goku and Trunks are only there to support him".

"Let's hope they have everything under control now".

* * *

"Wha.. what?!" Goku exclaimed, still shocked by Vegeta's words.

Ian's facial expression softened. Perhaps this was his last chance to say goodbye to his son, and yes, to the clown as well. He approached Trunks and crouched down to be eye level with the boy.

"Trunks, remember that time in the desert, when I told you I was proud of you?"

The lavender-haired boy nodded in confirmation, swallowing hard. Of course he remembered – that was the first time his father openly showed him affection… shortly before he blew himself up to defeat Buu. Trunks got an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach at the sole recollection of that event.

"Well, I meant it" Ian said and gave the boy a sad smile, not noticing the way Trunks trembled trying to suppress his sobs. "I… I really wish I had a son like you. Who knows, maybe one day…"

"Vegeta, you do have a son! Trunks _is_ your son!" Goku cut in, terrified at what he was hearing.

Ian got up and turned to face the other Sayian. "The boy said Vegeta was dying" he calmly stated, ignoring Goku's previous comment. "I want you to know I'm fine with that".

"You're _fine _with that?!" Goku repeated loudly in an incredulous tone.

"Yes. I've decided it's time to let him go. I don't need nor want him in my life anymore. This is the last time we see or hear each other, understand?"

"No, no I don't" Goku replied, his voice more serious now. He honestly had no idea what the man in front of him was talking about. And why was he referring to himself in the third person, as if he was somebody else? "Why are you doing this? Don't you want to get back home? You don't want to live anymore?"

"On the contrary. I do want to live. But I suppose you won't understand".

"Then explain it to me! What happened to Vegeta? Where is the proud Sayian prince that I used to know?"

"He's not coming back".

Both Trunks and Goku were lost for words.

"I'm going to close my eyes now and count to five" Ian continued, satisfied he finally managed to silence the two, "and when I'm done counting, you'll be gone. _Forever_".

"But…but dad…." Trunks started, then noticed his body was becoming more and more transparent.

Ian sat crossed-legged on his bed, closed his eyes and started his count-down. "One…"

"Our time is up, I'm afraid" Goku sadly informed Trunks, feeling utterly disappointed.

"Two…"

"Daddy, please! Don't give up on us!" Trunks called after his father in his last attempt to save him.

"Three"

"Don't stay here. Don't die daddy!" the boy yelled, feeling his body fading from this realm.

"Four"

"We love you!"

**"Five!**" Ian finished his counting and opened his eyes. Looking nervously around the room, he let out a sigh of relief upon discovering he was all alone once again. Although he knew he should be glad he won that battle, somehow this victory didn't give him the satisfaction he was hoping for. He really felt lonely now. Empty. Was that it? Was this really the end of Vegeta?

**TBC**

* * *

**Author's note:** Is this really the end of Vegeta? Find out what happens in the next chapter.

I'd like to thank everybody for their reviews. They encourage me to keep on writing and hopefully help me improve this story. Please, tell me what you think about this chapter as well. Stay tuned!


	9. Last Resort

**PREVIOUSLY ON REALITY CRISIS:**

(Trunks and Goku reappear in Vegeta's mind)

Ian: "Get away from me!"

Goku: "Look, this place is awful. You don't really want to stay here, do you?"

Ian: "At least it's real"

Gohan: "His blood pressure is dropping"

Bulma: "This is not good"

Gohan: "Bulma, there's still one more option…".

Trunks: "Do you want to die, father? Do you!?"

Goku: "What happened to Vegeta? Where is the proud Sayian prince that I used to know?"

Ian: "He's not coming back".

Trunks: "Don't stay here. Don't die daddy! We love you!"

* * *

Not a minute has passed since Ian opened his eyes to find himself completely alone, when the lights in the room were suddenly turned off. A cold shiver ran down his spine and he felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. He approached the iron door to call out for help, but to his great surprise, found it to be unlocked.

Ian cautiously peered outside, but he could barely make out anything in the darkened hallways that appeared to be empty.

"What the hell is going on?"

* * *

As soon as Goku and Trunks rematerialized back on the Ki-converting platform, both Gohan and Bulma felt relief. Not noticing the two warriors' somber expressions, they instinctively gazed at Vegeta, expecting him to finally open his eyes. Unfortunately he didn't.

„I'm sorry Bulma" Goku said, his shoulders dropped, „it didn't work".

Truks didn't utter a word but his eyes said it all – the boy was devastated. Looking at her soon, Bulma immediately knew something went horribly wrong.

"What happened?" the blue-haired scientist asked, her voice full of concern. "Did you find Vegeta?"

Goku shook his head. "Well yes…and no…"

Gohan raised his eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean dad?"

The older warrior let out a heavy sigh. How was he supposed to deliver the sad news? How was he supposed to tell Bulma that her husband basically kicked them out of his subconscious, refusing to come back?

_Well, I suppose there's no way around it,_ the Sayian thought, unsure how to word an explanation.

Bulma was becoming impatient with her friend's hesitation. Desperate for an answer, she urged Goku to start talking, "Well? What was the problem? Why can't he wake up?"

"Um, I don't think the problem is he _can't_" Goku slowly started, avoiding eye contact with Bulma. "The problem is… he doesn't _want_ to".

* * *

"Hello? Dr. Briefs? Anybody?" Ian called out, slowly walking through the desolate, darkened hallways of the mental hospital. He felt cold shivers move over his body so he tried warming himself by rubbing his upper arms with his hands. His breathing was becoming heavier by the second and his legs felt like jelly.

"Where did everyone go?" the confused patient muttered to himself, unsuccessfully trying to find the hospital personnel. The eerie silence made him feel anxious.

Supporting himself on the walls, he decided to find Dr. Briefs' office. Maybe the old man was there? Maybe he can give him some answers?

Ian took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a brief moment to gather some strength before moving on.

* * *

As Goku and Trunks were explaining what exactly happened in Vegeta's mind, Bulma and Gohan listened intently, occasionally shaking their heads in disbelief.

"…. and then he wouldn't even listen to us!" Goku was finishing his account of the events, "It's like he was somebody else".

"Yeah, dad wasn't himself!" Trunks confirmed, still not over the shock of seeing his father in such a distraught state.

Bulma furrowed her brows, trying to make sense of the situation. "It seems that noxious enzyme in Vegeta's system has had a strong psychological effect on him" she mused out loud. "If we want to save him, we need to find a way to get rid of it".

"The doctors are clueless, I'm afraid" Gohan added. "And we're running out of time".

As if on cue, the equipment monitoring Vegeta's vital signs beeped once more, indicating the patient's condition was getting even worse. The prince's skin was as white as a sheet now, cold sweat running down body.

Bulma put her hand on her husband's forehead and gasped at the heat his body was emitting. "He's running a high fever" she announced sadly.

"Bulma, I'm afraid I've got more bad news" Goku said, his face uncharacteristically serious. "Vegeta has lost almost all of his energy, and now his body is feeding on his life force".

"Which means…." Bulma started, but couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

"Which means, we need to do something quick, before it's too late".

Gohan turned to the blue-haired scientist and the two exchanged a quick, meaningful glance.

"Alright, if there's no other option…" Bulma said, as if answering Gohan's unspoken question. "Trunks, get the Dragon Radar!"

The boy raised his eyebrows in surprise, but quickly composed himself, gave his mother a nod and rushed to the laboratory for the device.

"I'll get Piccolo, Goten and Krillin" Gohan offered. "We need all the help we can get searching for the Dragon Balls. Time is of essence."

"You better stay here Bulma" Goku added, "he needs you".

She nodded in understanding and gave the two Sons a small smile of appreciation.

"Don't worry, we'll bring him back!" Goku said, his voice determined and full of hope.

"Let's just hurry" Gohan cautioned, "Vegeta had been resurrected by the Dragon before, so we can't bring him back from the Otherworld again. We need to make it before…."

"We will!" Goku interjected, unwilling to be reminded of the stakes of their mission again. With that, the two teleported themselves to Capsule Corp. lab where Trunks was already waiting with the radar in his hand.

* * *

After about twenty minutes, which seemed like hours, Ian slowly reached Dr. Briefs' office. He felt exhausted, cold, feverish, and on top of that he was confused as to why the lights were still off. He barely managed to find his way, as the darkened hallways formed a veritable maze one could easily get lost in.

Approaching the office door, Ian gently knocked, expecting Dr. Briefs to welcome him inside. To his surprise, however, instead of the old man, he was greeted by Bulma, holding a small candle which was glowing in the darkness.

"Ian?" she asked surprised, "what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question" he answered, holding onto the door frame, breathing heavily. He felt as if he'd just run a marathon.

Dr. B didn't comment but urged him to come inside.

Ian slowly slid his back down the wall, and closed his eyes to even his breathing. He barely noticed Dr. B. quietly assuming a sitting position next to him.

"What's with the blackout?" he finally asked.

"Emergency at the power station. Nothing to worry about" she assured him. "Happens all the time".

"Where did everybody go?"

"The orderlies are making sure the patients stay in their rooms" she replied, giving him a pointed glance, although there was no animosity in her voice. "My father's out of town today. He has a life outside the hospital, you know" she added with humor.

"Hn" was all Ian could muster as a reply, his eyes still closed.

Dr. B. leaned forward, examining him closely. She immediately recognized fatigue written all over his features, emphasized by the dim candle light. The experienced doctor also noticed how shallow his breath was becoming.

"Ian, are you alright? You don't look too good".

"I'm a little cold" he replied with honesty, even though a part of him still hated admitting to any sort of weakness.

"Dou you feel dizzy?" she asked in her most professional tone. He nodded in confirmation.

"Having trouble breathing?"

Another nod.

"Looks like you have a panic attack" she informed him, earning a surprised look from her patient.

"A panic attack? Me? That's preposterous" he scoffed, feeling offended by such a ridiculous accusation. Surely it wasn't a correct diagnosis. If anything, it was a malicious, mean-spirited insinuation.

Seeing his outraged reaction, Dr. B. decided not to push the matter any further.

"Here, lay down" she offered, inviting him to place his head on her lap.

He, in turn, gave her a suspicious look, but did as he was told. His eyelids were becoming heavy, and he felt like his head was swimming. He tried focusing his attention on something… anything, and found refuge in the hypnotic motion of the candle light.

The candle was quickly burning out, and he silently hoped for the power station to fix their problem soon. As if able to read his thoughts, Dr. B. placed her hand on his forehead.

"It will be over soon. Very soon" she said soothingly, caressing his short, spiky hair.

* * *

"I found one!" Goten announced excitingly, as he walked out of a cave in a desolate mountain area, triumphantly holding a three-star Dragon Ball.

"Good job!" Trunks yelled back, but then froze dead in his tracks. Goten was so happy about his discovery, that he failed to notice a huge, very unhappy-looking Tyrannosaurus Rex sneaking up behind him, ready to attack at any moment. Without sparing it a second thought, Trunks fired a large ki-blast at the creature, grabbed Goten by his collar and swiftly flew out of the way, a split second before the dinosaur could tear them apart with his razor-sharp claws.

Landing on a nearby mountain top, sufficiently far away from the furious Tyrannosaurus, the two boys let out a breath they didn't even realize they were holding.

"That was close" Trunks said, glancing at his best friend, making sure he hadn't sustained any injuries. "I guess we stepped on his territory".

"Yeah, thanks for saving my life Trunks" Goten said, giving him his trademark, bright smile.

"Alright, let's move on" Trunks announced, flying into the sky, but stopped in mid-air when he noticed his best friend still standing on the mountain, hesitating. "Goten, what's wrong?"

"So, you're not mad at me anymore?" Goten asked quietly, avoiding eye-contact with the lavender-haired boy.

Trunks was genuinely confused by the unexpected question. "Mad at you? Why would I be mad, Goten?"

Goten suddenly found the ground quite interesting to look at. "Because of what happened to your dad. Gohan told me you're blaming yourself for what happened in the desert back then... . "

"That's none of your fault Goten!" Trunks cut in. "If Gotenks defeated the enemy when he had the chance…."

Goten's head suddenly shot up. "I am a part of Gotenks as much as you are Trunks. If you are to blame yourself, then you should blame me too!"

Trunks carefully considered his words. "Well, I don't" the boy finally said. "You're my best friend".

At that, Goten's face visibly brightened. The two boys exchanged a quick smile, silently confirming their friendship.

"Are you two done?" they boys were startled upon hearing a deep, familiar voice whose owner their immediately recognized.

"Piccolo!" they simultaneously called out, in a form of greeting their Namekian mentor.

The green-skinned warrior was holding another Dragon Ball in his hand, but in his usual, straight-to-business matter he decided to skip the greetings and only graced them with a small nod. "Let's go. We don't have the whole day" he said, and blasted into the sky. Trunks and Goten quickly followed suit.

* * *

Ian felt oddly calm, soothed by Bulma's gentle touch and the deathly silence in the room. He continued observing the fading candle light, its tiny flame almost gone now.

Dr. B. shifted her knees to make herself more comfortable, and put her left hand on Ian's cheek. It was then that he noticed something missing on her finger.

"Where's the ring?" he asked, curiosity getting the better of him again.

He couldn't see her reaction from the position he was in, but the awkward moment of hesitation spoke volumes.

"I threw it out" Bulma finally said, trying to sound emotionally distanced from the implications of that statement.

Throwing out one's engagement ring was undoubtedly a symbol of a permanent break-up, but for some unexplainable reason Ian felt he needed to hear more.

"Why?"

She let out a sigh. "Me and Yamcha… we're no longer together".

If he wasn't feeling so drained, he probably wouldn't be able to help but smirk in satisfaction.

"Why?"

"There was someone else" she admitted, albeit reluctantly.

"So the bastard was unfaithful?" Ian asked, feeling a strange mixture of relief and anger.

"No" she answered, shaking her head. "He thought I…. he said he couldn't marry someone that loved somebody else".

Despite the vagueness of her answer, he found himself caught off guard by her confession. "Oh" he said, feeling a little silly for a lack of a better response.

Ian wasn't sure what to make of it all. On the one hand, he mentally kicked himself for sticking his nose in somebody else's business in the first place, but on the other hand, he was quite intrigued by the sudden turn of events. He wondered who was responsible for the end of their relationship.

_Was it possible…? Could it be…? _

"Well good riddance. He was a loser anyway" Bulma suddenly said, earning a small chuckle from her patient.

"Agreed. Had you married scar-face, you would've gotten the worse end of the deal".

It was her turn to chuckle, although her laughter seemed to be tainted by sadness.

Ian decided he didn't have anything to lose by asking another, small, innocent question. "So who is it?"

Instead of giving him an answer, she lightly patted his cheek.

"Feeling better?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

Ian's face sombered a little, as he wasn't sure if she meant his mood – in which case it was a definite "yes" - or his physical state, which wasn't getting any better at all. He decided to repay her for her honesty with a little confession of his own.

"They came to me today" he said, once more directing his gaze towards the tiny candle.

"Who?" Dr. B. cautiously asked, although she already knew what the answer would be.

"Trunks. And Kakkarot" Ian admitted, finding it harder to breathe. "They said I was dying… that I have to wake up".

"And what did you do?" she asked, her voice almost a whisper now.

He hesitated for a moment, unsure whether it was guilt, pride or the sudden pain in his chest that left him breathless for a split second.

"I told them…" he started, but paused again to catch his breath, which was getting more and more obstructed by the second. "I told them to get away from me. That I don't want them in my life anymore".

Bulma smiled, and repositioned herself to look him straight in the eyes. "You did the right thing, Ian".

His head felt so heavy, he could no longer fight the urge to close his eyes. "It didn't _feel_ right, though" he admitted quietly. "Trunks is… was my son".

At that moment, the candle burned out and the two found themselves completely engulfed by darkness.

"Shhhh" Dr. B. said, placing her finger on his cold lips. "It's ok. None of it matters anymore. It's over now".

At that moment, Ian let out his last breath.

* * *

Bulma nervously glanced at her watch, then back at her pale, unconscious husband, anxious to see him wake up any second now. Her friends would call the Dragon soon, and then this whole nightmare would finally come to an end.

"Hold on, honey. Just a little longer" she said, trying to comfort both the comatose prince and herself, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on Vegeta's forehead.

Suddenly, she was startled by a long beeping sound, followed by flat line on the heart monitor, indicating Vegeta's pulse has stopped.

"Oh Kami, no!"

Before she even came to her senses to call out for the doctor, the hospital's medics had already arrived, gently pushing her out of the way, performing CPR while charging the defibrillator. Everything was happening so fast, with the doctors yelling commands at each other, the medical equipment still beeping and buzzing, Vegeta's body violently jerking up up and down from the delivered electrical impulses, that Bulma's head began to spin. It was only by the sheer power of will that she did not to collapse right there.

"No matter what, you have to keep him alive!" she ordered, desperation evident in her voice.

* * *

The Z-fighters were gathered in Dendie's lookout, six glowing, crystal balls placed on the ground.

"Just one more and we're ready to go" Dendie said, getting ready to summon the Dragon any second now. "Who's in charge of finding the last Dragon Ball?".

Goku looked around and immediately figured out who was missing from the bunch. "Krillin. I'm sure he'll be right back".

Just then, the fighters' heads shot upwards, sensing a disturbance in Vegeta's life force.

"Oh no" Trunks yelped, knowing that the ominous energy lapse could mean only one thing. Goten approached his best friend and placed a hand on his shoulder in a gesture of comfort.

_Hurry up Krillin_ Goku thought, furrowing his brows in concern. _If Vegeta dies now, we won't be able to bring him back ever again_.

"He's coming" Piccolo calmly announced, his sensitive years picking up the sound before their eyes could actually register the small, approaching figure of their friend.

Only a few seconds later, Krillin landed next to Goku and hurriedly placed the last crystal ball among the six others.

"Sorry I'm late. The last one got stuck in a certain place of a certain, grumpy creature and, well… trying to give an enema to a huge Apatosaurus is beyond my field of expertise" he said jokingly, unaware of the seriousness of the situation.

When nobody responded to his witty comment, Krillin immediately realized it was no time for jokes, as Vegeta was currently fighting for his life.

Goku turned to Dende. "Alright, you know what to do. Call the Dragon".

The small Namekian did as he was told, and soon the previously cloudless sky turned dark, loud smacks of thunder reverberating in everyone's ears. Suddenly a yellowish, bright light erupted from the seven magical balls, assuming a shape of a snake-like creature, with long stag horns and red, glowing eyes. Even though the warriors had summoned Shenron on several occasions before, his occurrence never failed to keep them all in awe.

"I have come to grand you two wishes" the Dragon's deep voice bellowed, as the magical creature awaited for the summoners' requests.

Goku didn't waste any time in forming his wish. "Shenron, we want the poison in Vegeta's system to disappear completely. We also want him to wake up from his coma, his life vitals back to normal".

The Dragon's eyes glowed even brighter. "Your wishes shall be granted" the creature announced and immediately afterwards disappeared, along with the seven crystal balls which were now turned to stone and scattered all around the world, unable to be used for another year.

Soon, the sky turned blue again, as if nothing had disturbed its peace only a few seconds ago.

"Grab onto me guys, let's head back to Capsule Corp" Goku said, placing his fingers on his forehead, ready to transport everybody back to Bulma's back yard.

* * *

The doctors were working their hands to the bone, trying to restore their patient's heart rhythm, but they all knew it was a fool's errand, as Vegeta didn't even respond to 700 joules at that point. The medics didn't know much about Sayian anatomy, but they did know that the alien's body was far more tenacious than that of an ordinary human. Still, the patient's heart stubbornly refused to start beating again and they were running out of ideas on how to help him.

"Please, try again" Bulma pleaded, despite seeing the terrible burns her husband's chest sustained during the defibrillation.

The senior doctor glanced at her sympathetically and against his better judgment decided to give it one more shot.

"Let's try 800 joules, maybe that'll do the trick" he said, turning to his staff. They gasped in surprise, but complied, charging the enhanced defibrillator to 800.

* * *

_Hold on, honey. Just a little longer_

_Oh, Kami, no! _

_No matter what, you have to keep him alive!_

_…. maybe that'll do the trick_

_Vegeta, damn it, wake up you arrogant jerk!_

_Mom! Is dad…._

_Come on Vegeta, fight! Don't give up! _

He was floating in the dark, accompanied only by the all-too familiar voices ringing in his head. Where was he heading? Was it a dream? Or was it truly the end? And why the hell was his chest in such a ridiculous amount of pain right now?

_Breathe_

_Open your eyes_

Oh great, the voices were giving him orders now.

"You're not the boss of me!" he shouted back, unsure why or _how_ he did that as, in fact, he could not breathe.

_Just take a breath. Come on. Try it. You can do it._

"Of course I can. I can do anything I want to" he responded, although he could not recognize this one, particular voice speaking to him now.

_Then breathe! Open your eyes and take a breath. On my count. One…._

"Wait, now?!"

_You're not afraid, are you? TWO…. _

"Who is this?"

_Last one to breathe is Freeza's doormat. THREE! _

* * *

Vegeta suddenly opened his eyes, gasping for air. His head jerked backwards and he instinctively grabbed the contraption that covered his mouth, swiftly removing it from its place. As he took a heavy breath, his bandaged chest moved up, causing a sharp pain to shoot through his entire body.

He took another, smaller breath, then another, and another until he managed to even it out. Disoriented, he tried to stand up to get his bearings, but someone's hand gently pushed him back.

"Don't" a soft voice commanded. "Stay still".

Without having to glance at her, Vegeta immediately recognized who it belonged to.

"Bulma?" he asked, surprising himself at how weak his own voice sounded. "What… what happened?"

"Shhh. It's ok. None of it matters anymore. It's over now".

**TBC...**

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Is it over? Not until the fish jumps!

Sorry for the long wait, but at least this chapter is pretty LOOONG. The story is not over yet (far from it I'm afraid), so please bare with me for a little longer. Thank you for all the fantastic reviews – they mean a lot to me, so please keep them coming.


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